I have mixed feelings about the current state but is that a legitimate question. I imagine Iran would fire once on the US and then all heck would reign down on them from the skies. I don’t see a situation where Iran can hold on. Most of the people do not support the government.

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dreghgh 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

What if they hit US bases using 'plausibly deniable' cutouts?

The Glorious Revolutionary Militia of country X, using Iranian built and supplied drones or missiles, blows up young American soldiers in a country half the electorate didn't even know there was a presence in. Iran disclaims all involvement, but says they sympathise with the legitimate frustration of the locals. Do you think the United States gets involved in a hot war against Iran based on that?

Remember the Beirut truck bombings. The biggest single day US Marine loss of life since Iwo Jima. Reagan (and Mitterand) immediately says there will be no withdrawal. They shoot a lot of artillery in the general direction of Hezbollah from a boat, then immediately withdraw all troops.

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gcanyon 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Most of the people do not support the government.

You're implying that a foreign power bombing Iran would make the people less likely to support their government. Do you have justification for that?

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GlacierFox 6 hours ago | parent [-]

Iranian people hate the Ayatollahs. They execute any opposition. The populace is literally dying for change.

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swat535 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Yes, they do but they love IRAN even more. Defending the country against hostile forces is going to be their priority.

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GlacierFox 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Which hostile forces? The US has attacked nuclear sites which they're using to build Nuclear bombs, not sent a warhead into Tehran. I think you're underestimating the dissatisfaction of the Iranian people people with the death cult in charge.

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karmakurtisaani 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

What would happen to American patriotism if China "pre-emptively" attacked its military research facilities? It would be the only thing on the news, and the only thing people would want would be revenge.

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bigyabai 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

How about you Google SAVAK and then get back to me on how receptive you think Iranian citizens are of American "guidance" under "democratic leadership" and all that jazz.

I think you're underestimating how many Iranians the CIA allowed to be tortured and raped in the Shahist regime. Agree to disagree?

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spwa4 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Compared to khomeini, who started out by killing (mostly after torture) about 3800, mostly his own allies, some of which hadn't even finished primary school?

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bigyabai an hour ago | parent [-]

Yes. America's "liberator complex" is pretty much the #1 reason we got dicked down in Vietnam despite expecting a decisive victory.

	▲	spwa4 18 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I think you need to go back to the history of the Iranian revolution and re-read. America was largely with the shah, as was anyone with one iota of sense. The socialist liberator of the people was khomeini, with support from leftists worldwide, from Moscow to Brazil, Berlin to ... Socialists who kept supporting khomeini after it became very clear that he sent in thugs to murder his own supporters, so he could blame "zionists" for the killings, or that he sent snipers into a protest to fire from within the crowd at security services ... I mean socialists use tactics like that even today, although of course compared to khomeini even the KGB look like gentle souls. That's one reason everything about Iran's theocratic regime is called "revolutionary this", "the supreme blahblah council", or the double army structure, the reason that a theocracy has a ministry of labour (which unions are forced to be part of, you know, like the soviet union) ... it was created and organized by socialists. They came to power through student protests and union strikes. Then khomeini started executing them. First, 3800 at once, then between 300 and 1000 every year. Khamenei is dutifully continuing the islamist executions. This year is definitely going to be 5000+ executions. You know how many deaths are actually attributed to the evil interference of the US in Iran before the revolution? What socialists tried to fix? The reason they supported the mass-murdering clerics? ... 89 people.

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bitmasher9 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The power delta between The United Stated and Iran is lower than any of our other engagements since WW2, and look at how many resources were spent for questionable outcomes.