Yes and no. In 1979, the USA likely wanted to wage war with Iran, and in my opinion, it would have been a good idea to do so. But, the USA couldn't because Vietnam had just ended in 1975, and President Carter knew that he wouldn't stand a chance being reelected if he waged another war, this time in Iran. The American people weren't ready for it.
I personally think that the USA was depending on its ally, Saddam Hussein, to do the dirty work. And Saddam did, for 8 long years. In 1988, the war between Iraq and Iran ended, but just two years later, the Gulf War erupted. So the USA hasn't really been able to do the job. Hasn't had a good enough excuse yet. Until now.