Think about what you have heard the US government say. For example, "if Iran's leaders would join the world." Isn't that a bit meaningless? Here's some info from Wikipedia: "Iran is considered as one of the cradles of civilization." "Iran has heavily influenced cultures and peoples as far away as Italy, Macedonia, and Greece to the West, Russia and Eastern Europe to the North, the Arabian Peninsula to the South, and the Indian subcontinent and East Asia to the East." Also, like most countries, Iran was trading throughout the world, that is, until the US slapped embargoes and sanctions on them. And though it's true that historically, Iran's and Israel's leaders have been at odds, Iran hosts the largest Jewish settlement in the world outside of Israel. Another example you gave, "the Iranian people are not the terrorists the mullahs are." I think I heard Trump, Bolton, or Pompeo say that. Those three spew propaganda. They are actively trying to turn the Iranian people and military against their government. This is a standard ploy the US incorporates into its regime change operations, which follow predictable stages: 1) destabilize the economy and government by imposing sanctions, embargoes, disinformation campaigns, and covert CIA operations to stir up civil unrest (happening now) 2) insert rebel groups (ISIS) and special forces to attack infrastructure and cities. The US is currently rebuilding ISIS. 3) When government forces fight the rebels and civilian casualties inevitably increase, start disinformation operation that demonizes the government leaders as evil dictators, terrorists, monsters, etc who are starving, bombing, gassing, etc its own people 4) If or when the government forces become sufficiently weakened, send in US and allied military forces to finish the regime change operation under the guise of liberating the people from an oppressive government. The massive US regime change operation in Syria followed these stages, and was close to succeeding. But, it eventually failed after Syria asked Russia for help and it send in its military, which proceeded to decimate ISIS. I don't think it will work in Iran either because its government and military, and most of all, its people, are just too strong. But, that's not going to stop the US from trying, given the incompetent people who are running its foreign policies.