The Iranian regime cannot agree to these demands. First of all, this is because some of them, such as shifting its approach to Israel and ceasing its support of terrorist organizations, are completely contrary to the regime's DNA, requiring a perversion of Islamic Revolution values unacceptable to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Second, the Iranian leadership sees Pompeo's presentation of demands as additional proof of Iran's standpoint that the sole goal of the U.S. is to replace the Islamic regime. Third, the fulfillment of some of these demands requires Iran to dismantle assets that, in the regime's eyes, are a security guarantee of their continued survival, such as long-range missiles and the option to use nuclear technology for military purposes. Iranian willingness to give up these capabilities, particularly at a time when it has conditions placed on it in the context of an escalating U.S. threat, is unreasonable even under heightened economic pressure.

The American administration currently striving for regime change comes as no surprise. National Security Adviser John Bolton, known as a staunch supporter of regime change in Iran, even maintains open ties with the Iranian resistance abroad. But a regime change requires recruiting the Iranian public to take down its leaders, unless the American administration intends to drag the country into another Middle Eastern war and force a regime change on Iran through military means, including a land invasion. The process of change in Iranian society depends on its potential for political change. Increasing the economic pressure through more crippling sanctions will likely strengthen popular prowwww.

Washington possibly hopes the faltering Iranian economy and protracted public protest will create an opportunity for the regime to fall. All that is needed is to increase the pressure on Iran. Although the Americans' hope may be realized, those who base strategy on hopes risk discovering their hopes to be false.

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Tehran's attempt to downplay its role in the escalation comes as little surprise. The Iranian drone's breach of Israeli airspace marks another stage in Iran's efforts to establish its influence in Syria and to shape the new reality in the region in the post-Islamic State era.

These efforts seek to stabilize the Syrian regime, whose survival is essential for Iran because Syria is its main strategic ally in the Arab world. Iran also seeks to increase the pressure on Israel; push the United States, which it sees as a major threat, further out of the Middle East; and deepen its political, economic and religious influence in the Middle East.

At this point, however, it is safe to assume that Iran has no interest in instigating a direct conflict with Israel. It prefers a strategy of "walking on the thin line" and the majority of Iranian actions in Syria are carried out via its proxies – the Hezbollah terrorist group and foreign Shiite militias.

The escalation in Israel's north is taking place as Iran is facing a growing set of challenges.

The airstrikes in Syria, which foreign media attributes to Israel, illustrate Iran's limited ability to act in the war-torn country; the Pentagon's statement, saying the U.S. plans to deploy forces in Syria are a cause for Iranian concern; there is a growing difference of opinion between Russia and Iran over the political future of postwar Syria; and Turkey's recent military activity in northern Syria demonstrates Ankara's intention to play a part there.

Moreover, Syrian President Bashar Assad's own reservations about Iranian military presence on his soil has met with criticism from the Iranian media, and there is a growing internal debate in Iran about the necessity of its investments in the Middle East, especially as doubts over the future of the 2015 nuclear deal spells economic uncertainty for the Islamic republic.

But faced with these challenges, the launch of an Iranian drone to breach Israeli airspace can be seen as another attempt by Tehran to position itself as a key player in shaping new reality in Syria, as well as challenge Israel's efforts to prevent it from changing the rules of the game in this sector.

Iran is not expected to cease its efforts to consolidate its regional influence, which it perceives as vital to its national interests. Still, Tehran's touting of the downing of an Israeli fighter jet as evidence of its success in "countering" Israel's pushback to what is transpiring in Syria cannot mask the challenges Iran is facing.

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