“I have friends in Persia, quite opposed to the current regime there, who might rightly take exception to that sentiment.”

What have your Iranian (not Persian when you get right down to it) friends done lately to overthrow their government, to get their meddling out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and to make sure than Iranian money isn’t actively involved in killing American soldiers? And, do they support Israel’s right to exist and not support Hezbollah or Hamas? If they’ve done nothing other than being “moderate” and minding their own business, then I submit that they’re part of the Ahmadinnerjacket / Mad Mullah problem, and not the solution, and every bit as nukable as North Korea or Pakistan.