Cog wrote:You really think that Iran glassing Israel won't result in Iran being erased from the planet?Israel has nukes too.
MAD principles apply here and most likely both Israel and Iran would be left alone.
Decision centers determining american policy are really in Israel, and peple there do not consider themselves disposable.
Credible threat of Israel destruction is a war stopper for both Israel and US, particularly if Iran offers no aggression deal.
Israeli situation is also peculiar because of very small teritory.
Successful decapitating first strike against Israel is a credible threat, unlike in the case of US or Russia.
Israel can only rely on US in larger war.
What the Iranians are currently doing with this ship seizure and acts of terrorism is to force the US into dropping sanctions.
Nope.
All what they want is their tanker back and then they will promptly release british one.
I can offer a bet in this respect.
Their military could be destroyed within days if the USA wished it to be so. So far, the Iranians have not directly attacked US warships or US interests. The Global Hawk shoot down notwithstanding. If that changes, the Iranians will find out what a real military is all about.
Open Iraqui styled war on Iran will result in Chinese seizure of Taiwan at the same time.
US doesn't want it for sure, so all what they will do is either few airstrikes or nothing.
Most likely nothing at the moment.
Brits will need to negotiate exchange of ship they have pirated for their ship which Iran have pirated in retaliation.
My taking on the subject is that larger scale war here is unlikely as all parties would loose much and gain next to nothing.