I'm not sure how much of an option air strikes are. It seems like their airforce is definitely one of Iran's few vulnerabilites so airstrikes should succeed, but the IRGC isn't the sort of organization that can be disabled through air strikes. Basically you just hope that you can do enough damage to the country that it'll force high-ranking officials to reign in the Qod Force, but in a worst-case scenario Iran retaliates with airstrikes and tactical Qod Force strikes of their own targeted at US operations inside Iraq, and at some point that escalates into a ground invasion by one side or the other. I think the response will be to stay the course and hope that the situation deflates itself, and honestly in this case it seems to me that would be the best of the available options. Military options aren't favourable, economic sanctions are difficult given Iran's oil situation (and sanctions have proved to be ineffective towards short-term resolution), and the US has decided categorically not to negotiate with Iran (not that this would be effective in the short term, either).
|