Is War With Iran Our Best Option?

[Ashmoria]

you should start working to elect more democrats. its not a sure thing that they will oppose war with iran but those republicans are getting scary in their calls for war.

we should have learned our lesson with Iraq, eh? it is wrong to start a war when the other country has done nothing to you. it wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't solve anything.

The biggest problem with Iraq was that we didn't have an exit strategy. We totes have an exit strategy for Iran now guys.

oh noooo norstal we DID have an exit strategy. it was just an abysmally stupid one. we were going to install Ahmed Chalabi (I think that's the guy) as the new highly popular leader of Iraq and then get the fuck out. ooops it turned out that no one in Iraq knew chalabi and those who did weren't interested in handing him power.

and im sure that any exit strategy the neocons have in mind for iran would be equally stupid.

[Calenhardon]

Sweet Jesus no. The US has basically three options.

We can negotiate and then enforce a not-great but also not-disastrous agreement. This will prevent Iran from getting the bomb without substantial cost to the US.

We can sit back and watch Iran get the bomb. Given repeated bipartisan commitments to prevent this from happening, this would be a political disaster of the first order and create great doubt about the strength of US commitments.

We can bomb Iran. Initial runs would target Iranian nuclear sites and air-defense installations. There would be some casualties, presumably, but not too many. Iran would have to retaliate, most likely through missile attacks on US bases in the Gulf States and by stepping up support for terrorist organizations. Hezbollah might start a new war with Israel, especially if Israel was involved. The US would then attack Iranian missile units, taking more casualties. By this time it is possible/probable that Iran would have captured several US pilots. Additionally, Russia would probably be selling weapons to Iran. The wild card is whether or not Iran attempts to close the Straits of Hormuz. If they did and were successful...global economic disaster.

[Devvo Mate]

not at all, that will escalate into a full scale nuclear war

How've you worked that one out?

[Herskerstad]

I'd prefer mass cover obs and fermenting a regime overthrow when such becomes opportune.

Obama had another idea, if one can call it that.

[Herskerstad]

Sweet Jesus no. The US has basically three options.

We can negotiate and then enforce a not-great but also not-disastrous agreement. This will prevent Iran from getting the bomb without substantial cost to the US.

We can sit back and watch Iran get the bomb. Given repeated bipartisan commitments to prevent this from happening, this would be a political disaster of the first order and create great doubt about the strength of US commitments.

We can bomb Iran. Initial runs would target Iranian nuclear sites and air-defense installations. There would be some casualties, presumably, but not too many. Iran would have to retaliate, most likely through missile attacks on US bases in the Gulf States and by stepping up support for terrorist organizations. Hezbollah might start a new war with Israel, especially if Israel was involved. The US would then attack Iranian missile units, taking more casualties. By this time it is possible/probable that Iran would have captured several US pilots. Additionally, Russia would probably be selling weapons to Iran. The wild card is whether or not Iran attempts to close the Straits of Hormuz. If they did and were successful...global economic disaster.

Any war with Iran would require that both their navy and lion's share of their airforce would be destroyed within the very earliest stage of the war and Israel certainly has the technology and doctrine to make such happen.

. . . Though, technically speaking. The only nation that would profit from an Iranian oil blockade of both the peninsula straits is Israel. As the world community would have to fight the war on their side.

[Sarigen]

I sure hope not.

[Greater Nevadian Empire]

I don't think we should get into war with Iran.

[Greater Istanistan]

Hell no. Regardless of sectarian issues, it'd just be perceived as another "bomb the Muslims" campaign, leading to mass riots in Palestine, probably more wars with Israel (which would just make things worse), and ultimately the complete collapse of US diplomatic credibility worldwide.

In purely practical terms, Iranian air defense is no laughing matter. They've been investing heavily in it, and it'd be hard to take out the reactors, let alone the rest of their military, without significant losses.

Can't forget that Iran is pretty much the only think keeping Iraq together right now, and without them ISIS goes nuts and gains land back, discrediting the Coalition further.

And suppose the Americans win the war and the regime gets toppled. Where do you suppose all those high-grade weapons systems are going to go?

Across the whole Middle East. Things are bad enough when the nutty militias are using 1970s-issue equipment. Just imagine what they'd be able to do with a sudden influx of mostly new stuff.

Bad, bad idea.

[Allegan County]

No.

[Calenhardon]

Sweet Jesus no. The US has basically three options.

We can negotiate and then enforce a not-great but also not-disastrous agreement. This will prevent Iran from getting the bomb without substantial cost to the US.

We can sit back and watch Iran get the bomb. Given repeated bipartisan commitments to prevent this from happening, this would be a political disaster of the first order and create great doubt about the strength of US commitments.

We can bomb Iran. Initial runs would target Iranian nuclear sites and air-defense installations. There would be some casualties, presumably, but not too many. Iran would have to retaliate, most likely through missile attacks on US bases in the Gulf States and by stepping up support for terrorist organizations. Hezbollah might start a new war with Israel, especially if Israel was involved. The US would then attack Iranian missile units, taking more casualties. By this time it is possible/probable that Iran would have captured several US pilots. Additionally, Russia would probably be selling weapons to Iran. The wild card is whether or not Iran attempts to close the Straits of Hormuz. If they did and were successful...global economic disaster.

Any war with Iran would require that both their navy and lion's share of their airforce would be destroyed within the very earliest stage of the war and Israel certainly has the technology and doctrine to make such happen.

. . . Though, technically speaking. The only nation that would profit from an Iranian oil blockade of both the peninsula straits is Israel. As the world community would have to fight the war on their side.

Israel does not have enough aircraft for a sustained air campaign against Iran, especially since Russia would probably be only too happy to keep Iran well supplied with missiles. Hell, a decent number of analysts think Israel lacks the capability to destroy Iran's nuclear program unless it uses nukes itself.

[Gauthier]

Doesn't help that the Republicans seem to want it as the ONLY option.

[Kalifati Arab shqiptar]

No, but a full scale invasion of Middle East might be a solution

[Allentyr]

I personally think only idiots would believe war with Iran is the US' best option.

[Kalifati Arab shqiptar]

I personally think only idiots would believe war with Iran is the US' best option.

Republican idiots.

[Konglomerat]

No.
No no no.
Noity
No.

Nonononononono

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

[Kargintina]

There is zero reason to go to war with Iran, especially after they assisted agains ZiSIS. (Who are the ones we should be going to war with)

[The United Territories of Providence]

Because invading a Middle Eastern nation for fear they might have Weapons of Mass Destruction has always worked out in our favor....

[The Orson Empire]

No, war with Iran is not our best option. The U.S. should have never gotten involved in the Middle East in the first place.

While it is highly likely that a war with Iran would end in a U.S. victory, there are numerous other factors that would make it a terrible choice.

[American California]

Israel can fight its own wars. Leave my country out of it.

And I hope Iran kicks their asses.

[Seraven]

Not sure if you people have already discussed this, but last week there was a bit of a stir over this article in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/war-with-iran-is-probably-our-best-option/2015/03/13/fb112eb0-c725-11e4-a199-6cb5e63819d2_story.html

Where a neo-con writer insists that invading Iran is a far better idea than sanctions and diplomacy. Said writer insists it wouldn't even be that hard. Just a little aerial campaign to bomb their reactors and associated infrastructure. A cakewalk if you will...

What do you people think? Good idea or not? Should I start training for the draft?

It's a waste of time. Iran clearly said that they didn't developed any nuclear weapons.

If you invade Iran, and yet opposing Israel's plan with Iran, then you can be called as hypocrite.

[Olthar]

War is never the best answer.

[Kalifati Arab shqiptar]

War is never the best answer.

Unless you are a zombie

[Gauthier]

War is never the best answer.

Unless you are a zombie

Or a Republican Congressman.

[Seraven]

War is never the best answer.

War is never the first option. It's the last option.

War is never the best answer.

Unless you are a zombie

Zombie is in war. With humans.

[The Enclave Government]

Mixed reaction.


First off, Iran isnt Iraq. Iran has ties to Russia and China, so we'd be absolutely FUCKED if we attacked them.

Second off, sanctions and harsh looks at the UN don't do crap shit either.

There's always embargoes.