Iran's nuclear program should have been flattened after 9/11. Instead, GWB invaded Iraq.
The Gulf royals mostly just want to be left alone. Their seething populations are a different matter. If they had their druthers... Note that 3/4 of Egypt voted for the Islamists.
I guess we should have let Saddam get nukes right, because he just wanted to be our friend and protect Christians like his fellow socialist Assad, right?