Three years ago, Donald Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said this: “I don’t think we’re going to have real peace and security in the Middle East until the regime of the ayatollahs is replaced, not just because of their threat on nuclear weapons, but because of their continued support for terrorism.”

The need to topple the theocratic regime in Tehran has become more critical as Iran nears the ability to produce and launch nuclear weapons against Israel and possibly the United States.

Pre-emption is better than reaction after an attack, especially when one’s enemies repeatedly assert their intentions. The Obama and Biden administrations have tried to pacify, mollify and in sending billions of dollars of unfrozen assets to Iran, effectively subsidize the regime.

The Biden-Harris administration reportedly is in active discussion with Israel about how to respond to this clear and present danger which it helped create. Biden and President Obama before him, have cautioned – even pressured – Israel not to “widen” the war by attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly has agreed after being pressured by Biden not to strike oil or nuclear targets in Iran.

It is Iran that seeks to widen the war by continuing on a path that could potentially result in their use of nuclear weapons.

Iran apparently senses a moment of American weakness and indecision and is exploiting it on several levels. According to a report on extremism by George Washington University, Iran has operatives in the U.S. who are spreading anti-Israel hate and propaganda on college campuses and cozying up to American officials. The New York Post published pictures of

Iranian Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi with John Kerry and Kamala Harris. Elahi, reports the newspaper, “served as head of the Iranian Navy’s political-ideological office during the 1980s” and has praised the regime, saying he would die for the cause.

There’s more and more people should be paying attention, though the national media aren’t.

At a pro-Lebanon in Dearborn, Michigan, last week, MEMRI.org reported a crowd cheering “Death to Israel” in support of Hezbollah’s attacks. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said: “We want people across the globe to have the values we advocate for in Dearborn.” Apparently referring to Jews in Israel and the Holocaust, community leader Osama Siblani said: “We will take you back to Poland. We are Americans and America is changing – look at the universities.”

As is said with physical illness, early detection is key to a cure. We are long past early detection when it comes to Iran, whose leaders are not hiding, but proclaiming their intentions while claiming a religious mandate to accomplish their goals.

Pre-emptive and retaliatory attacks against Israel’s (and our) enemies is nothing new. In April 1981, the Israeli Air Force attacked Syrian forces in Lebanon to prevent them from seizing the strategic Sannin ridge.

On April 15, 1986, President Reagan ordered air strikes on Libya in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque bombing 10 days earlier, which he blamed on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The strike effectively neutralized Gaddafi’s support for terrorism.

History proves weakness invites aggression by other nations and terrorist entities. Iranian elections, which have been fixed by the regime with opponents murdered or jailed, have shown large numbers of Iranians oppose being ruled by the ayatollahs. U.S. policy, whether overt or covert and in cooperation with Israel and even Saudi Arabia, which fears the Iranian government, should be the replacement of the religious fundamentalists with democratically elected leaders. Anything short of that will lead to consequences no one – except Iran – claims to want.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.