Quote Originally Posted by Keyser Soze View Post
..and if you want terminal destruction of Iran there is another way but it comes at a high cost.

1. Do a deal with Turkey to block Iranian oil flows on pipelines.
2. Put ships in the Straight of Hormuz and block any Iranian cargo.

See map below and guide on the area....

https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/i...e-middle-east/

Unfortunately it won't stop oil going to China, but that is what the importance of Iraq and Afghanistan was. In addition to cutting off trade with China, the combination of US troops in Iraq (to left of Iran) and in Afghanistan (to right of Iran) was a "Policy of Encirclement" to cut off allies, military supply lines and trade to the East and West, and keep Iran honest and isolated.

But you cannot sell that to the Western public and it is expensive as we saw. Necessary to contain Iran and strategically sound, but costly. We have now done the public's bidding and got out. The combination of getting out, plus Biden's sanctions reversal, is what allowed Iran to trade with China, and do damage close to Israel. Ethically sound but strategically poor and political and economically dangerous.

The map is just a chessboard. Once you see it that way, you can see what needs to be done, regardless of the ethics.
The other important point to consider are the young people of Iran have had enough, they are rising up which makes it difficult for Israel to send the real big weapons in. Revolution from within maybe the answer, we could also see the same in Israel after this is all over .