When a regime has a stranglehold on their people, the only real way to remove them is to go in and

do it. That's a choice. It is not that we can't win, it is that it would be pointless and the populace would not even appreciate it. This is the muslim world.
So, I do agree with you that economic measures will work better....now that the nukes are off the table and they are suitably convinced that we have a POTUS willing to hurt them rather than appease them.

We had to act quickly before they got their weapon. There was not a good exit strategy, but I put that on the JCPOA people. Many of those people are now cheering for Iran (see conor).