Is Regime Change In Iran A Goal Of The U.S.?

Public Ire One Goal Of Iran Sanctions, U.S. Official Says -- Washington Post

An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that a U.S. intelligence official had described regime collapse as a goal of U.S. and other sanctions against Iran. An updated version clarifies the official’s remarks.

The Obama administration sees economic sanctions against Iran as building public discontent that will help compel the government to abandon an alleged nuclear weapons program, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official.

In addition to influencing Iranian leaders directly, the official said, “another option here is that [sanctions] will create hate and discontent at the street level so that the Iranian leaders realize that they need to change their ways.”

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Update: Is Obama really trying to overthrow the Iranian regime? -- Blake Hounshell, Foreign Policy

My Comment: Changing the Iranian government has always been the unstated goal of U.S. foreign policy since the 1979 revolution and the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Unlike then, the difference is that the U.S. government and it's allies are now using the tools at their disposal to make this happen. But will sanctions and supporting the opponents of the regime work .... I doubt it. The Iranian government and the religious zealots that control it are too entrenched to be removed.