Speculation over the possibility of a US military attack on Iran is increasing amid reports the Bush administration has drawn up plans to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. In a major piece in the New Yorker, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh says there is a growing conviction in the defense and diplomatic community that the Bush administration’s ultimate goal in the nuclear standoff with Iran is regime change. A high-ranking former defense official said the Bush administration’s military plans are premised on the hope “a sustained bombing campaign in Iran will humiliate the religious leadership and lead the public to rise up and overthrow the government.” The official went on to say: “I was shocked when I heard it, and asked myself, 'What are they smoking?' ”