Senator John Kyl wrote a column for Real Clear World about what he believes the U.S. could do about the threat posed by the Mullahs in Tehran.

As the good senator points out, Iran has built tremendous nuclear facilities in recent years, which would enable it to produce a nuclear bomb as soon as early next year. Of course, it could very well be that the Iranians will wait with developing one until they can develop several, which would mean that ‘the world’ has a couple of years left to force them to give up on their nuclear ambitions.

Senator Kyl advocates a diplomatic approach to Iran: he believes that the country’s religious leadership can be brought on its knees by tough sanctions. Earlier sanctions have already succeeded in hurting the Iranian economy, Kyl rightfully notes, further sanctions could weaken it so much that the regime may fall.

This is certainly true.

The problem with Iran however, is one of time and priorities.

If the U.S. does not use force against Iran it could very well be that the Iranians will have nuclear weapons by, say, 2011 or 2012. Many fear that they will use these weapons against Israel and America, possibly even against Muslim enemies in the region. They also fear that Iran will give these weapons to terrorists who can then use them against a variety of targets, without offering the victims an opportunity to strike back against a particular country.

On the other hand, it is well known that the regime of the Mullahs has been weakened tremendously by, among other things, the economic sanctions. The Mullahs have lost support at home; the majority of young Iranians do not support the regime; this while Iran is a country with a young population. The economy has collapsed, and will continue its free fall in the coming years, especially if the West adopts more (far going) sanctions against the country formerly known as Persia.

Iranians in general are not happy with the hawkish foreign policy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the country’s president, and know full well that he is only able to be so hawkish because he is supported by the country’s religious rulers. Without their support, Ahmadinejad would have to resign.

This means that the regime will fall. The question is not if, but when. Will it fall before the Mullahs develop nuclear weapons or not?

That is the country on people’s minds right now. The policy of the U.S. should be aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons by non-military means, while clandestinely supporting organizations, groups and individuals that want to overthrow the religious ruling class. At the same time, close attention should be paid to the Iranians’ nuclear program. If absolutely necessary to prevent them from developing weapons of mass destruction, using force could be a wise decision.