(01-04-2020 05:34 PM)mrbig Wrote:  I think if the US draws reasonable red lines, people will believe us. “Nuke Tehran until if glows for a millennium” is not a reasonable red line. If the US does that, literally the entire world will be against us. No way Europe would support such a move by the US. Russia is already an Iran ally. Even a country like Israel wouldn't want the blowback on them from such an aggressive act.

Our previous President drew some reasonable lines, and then ignored them. It might take a while before we are taken seriously again.

That said, I think turning Tehran into a glowing crater is way too big of threat. It sounds to me like hyperbole, like the guy in a bar who says he will rip your head off and **** in the hole. But whatever we say, people have to take seriously. I think we have a President now who people will take seriously. Of course, there is a big movement to replace him, probably with somebody more apologetic.