I thought this anon had a good take: >>Inspire massive Iranian protests with claims that you'll back them up >>Don't back them up and let Iran kill all of the protestors >>Months after they're dead and buried, launch a war that strategically entirely hinges on the dead protestors rising up and taking power >>They're all still dead and nobody's rising up >>Uhh, okay okay, maybe the infamously devout and hardline IRGC will make peace with you after taking power? Like in corrupt Venezuela >>Oh shit instead they're escalating the war and there are revolts in Bahrain and Pakistan now >I think this is the dumbest, least necessary big war we've ever fought https://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/529596162 It probably *would* have made more sense to not let the domestic opposition you were counting on get slaughtered.