Originally Posted by
Excargodog
At some time the temptation will be great to just bomb Kharg Island and Iran’s other occupied islands in the strait, take out their oil fields, and simply destroy them economically for a decade or two. Making atomic bombs is too expensive for a nation that’s starving and unable to feed its population. Then lather, rinse, and repeat as necessary.
The fact that we haven't seized or destroyed KI yet makes me suspect that there is still some kind of structured plan to this evolution.
Leaving an intact KI as a carrot to dangle for the regime might get them to cooperate. We might have to seize it to be taken seriously. Then the regime's oil sales are cut off indefinitely (they have no means to kick us off KI) with the threat of making it permanent at any time.