It's looking more and more like the Iranian exile who said we should not attack Iran (I think it was a WSJ editorial) because it would unite them against us is right.
I can't think of any other reason that the leadership would be so DESPERATE to get the U.S. to attack Iran. Why else would he want that so intensely?
It might well be that he doesn't have a stable contituency and wants to use the threat of an invasion or a bombing to turn his people against the United States and, by default, supporting him.