So of course Iran is not going to directly attack them. The theocracy is horrible, but not stupid.

But they know what would happen. Annihilation and dare I say it…eradication.

Iraq, Syria, Jordan & Saudi Arabia, none to keen on large Iranian armies passing through.

I'm a bit confused as to the logistics of Iran invading Israel.

And Syria has a small border with Israel, only 40m or so

A more likely scenario is a drone attack from some proxy on some diplomatic facility somewhere. An unfortunate blowback from Ukraine is that war has morphed again. For example I'm not convinced anyone's navy is safe within drone range.

Leaving their economy is utter ruins.
2023:
The government's budget this year totals 22,630 trillion rial (approximately $45 billion at the free-market USD rate, with the government's share of total oil export revenues standing at 6,200 trillion rials ($12.5 billion), representing 42.5%.

I thought it would be pinpoint strikes as well. No dumb bombs.

Now that they've backed down, it leaves Israel with the upper hand.

Last edited Tue Apr 9, 2024, 04:41 PM - Edit history (1)

And that opens them up to the Israeli Air Force bombing all high value targets and they want no part of that I bet

You'd think with all their oil money, and partnering with Putin, they've have up-to-date Russian Migs.

No. They've been exposed as vulnerable and not that much help to Hamas...which puts Israel in the driver's seat.

To put in perspective just how decrepit, they have 0 bombers and the type of fighter they have the most of are the 63 Phantom F-4's they got from the US back in the 70's, followed by the 40 or so F-14 Tomcats, also 70's vintage, neither any match for the IAF's F-35's and I would guess mostly held together by duct tape and baling wire and more a danger to their pilots then Israel.

And the others are no match for the 5th Gen. F-35.

Specifically:
MiG-29 (Product 9.12B) 'Fulcrum-A'
MiG-29 variant of the 9.12 for non-Warsaw Pact pact countries which included a further downgraded radar and avionics.