Rather paradoxically, Donald Trump is an outlier in this regard. He's repeatedly made comments about his desire for Iran to be a "rich," "strong," and "successful" country, which don't seem to be referring to a hypothetical post-uprising state but rather the current regime/current state. This is exemplified in policy, I believe he used that rhetoric most recently in reference to his support of renewed oil exports to China. It's absolutely undercut by the bombings he ordered! but is at least a slightly more moderate perspective.
Right before I read this, I was listening to the Slate Political Gabfest. There, Steven Cook from the Council on Foriegn Relations said the Iranian regime was "on an ontological level, its very essence, based on hostility to the United States." I was gobsmacked! We're doing Axis of Evil forever and ever and ever.
My favorite example of this was David Frum's headline "Right Move. Wrong Team."
Rather paradoxically, Donald Trump is an outlier in this regard. He's repeatedly made comments about his desire for Iran to be a "rich," "strong," and "successful" country, which don't seem to be referring to a hypothetical post-uprising state but rather the current regime/current state. This is exemplified in policy, I believe he used that rhetoric most recently in reference to his support of renewed oil exports to China. It's absolutely undercut by the bombings he ordered! but is at least a slightly more moderate perspective.
Right before I read this, I was listening to the Slate Political Gabfest. There, Steven Cook from the Council on Foriegn Relations said the Iranian regime was "on an ontological level, its very essence, based on hostility to the United States." I was gobsmacked! We're doing Axis of Evil forever and ever and ever.