However, the word needs to get back to them, if they use nukes against us, we will turn all of the Muslim world... ALL OF IT... into a wasteland, starting with Mecca, Qom, Tehran, Damascus, etc.
That ain't going to happen.
You said -- "However, the word needs to get back to them, if they use nukes against us, we will turn all of the Muslim world... ALL OF IT... into a wasteland, starting with Mecca, Qom, Tehran, Damascus, etc."
I still don't see (when people mention this option) what kind of deterrence that has. Most of the people in those places you mentioned have no ideas what is going on. They are not involved in operations. They don't fight in the wars and so on. They couldn't stop a single terrorist operation if they tried. So, I fail to understand what they have to do with it.
Now, on the other hand, I think the religion of Islam should be destroyed. That's another matter. I think we can destroy that and allow those people (the millions of current Muslims) find another religion. It's an evil religion and that religion needs to be destroyed, because it's a Satanic religion and it has them enslaved (just as the Bible points out that Satan enslaves and oppresses others through his lies and guile and deception). That's Islam for you.
The people are one thing and the religion is another.
By the way, if you start bombing these other areas because of the Muslims there -- you are going to have to bomb larges areas of the United States, too. If you don't, then there is no consistency to your reasoning.
Regards,
Star Traveler
The EU won't like that. They'll demand that we not respond to anything Iran does.