The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg rounded up to 3 stars

[Karin]

This book is primarily set in the 21st century, but has some historical fiction in 1979, the 1980s and then on 9/11.
There are tensions rising in the middle east. Some Muslims in Iran have seen the twelfth imam so are striving to finish nuclear weapons, etc. David Shirazi, born to parents who had fled Iran after what happened in 1979 because they helped American is a CIA operative called in to work on finding out if these rumoured weapons actually exist.

The best part of this book is the accuracy of presenting Iran--long time online friend of my is originally from there, and I read this in her review (she liked the book better than I did.) Although it doesn't read like it for a good portion of it, it's an overtly Christian book. In addition to people seeing the 12th Imam, there are Muslims who have visions of Jesus (this has been happening IRL, but the one in here has words said I've never read in any account of this that are clearly Rosenberg's church's theology). Shizari is an agnostic.

This is the first of a trilogy, so stops without a resolution--I'm not likely to read all three to find out what happens, but will give this 3 stars and an average of liking it (since my feelings fluctuated.)