If the Iranians use a nuke there will no longer be any doubt about their possession of nuclear weapons. That will green light total annihilation. The free world could not sit back while Iran then developed Midrange and Long Range ICBM capabilities. Testing a nuke and using a nuke are two entirely different issues. In the modern world you can negotiate and make treaties with nuke testers. You cannot however negotiate and make treaties with nuke users. Especially if they have violated almost every agreement they have ever entered.
"If the Iranians use a nuke there will no longer be any doubt about their possession of nuclear weapons. That will green light total annihilation. The free world could not sit back while Iran then developed Midrange and Long Range ICBM capabilities. Testing a nuke and using a nuke are two entirely different issues. In the modern world you can negotiate and make treaties with nuke testers. You cannot however negotiate and make treaties with nuke users. Especially if they have violated almost every agreement they have ever entered."
You have a good point, but I still disagree. If Iran attacks us first with a nuke military of civilian agreed would be green light for total annihalation on them. However, if we initiate an attack and they nuke a carrier I still maintain we will not use a nuke back. We may certainly go in with a conventional attack after we are fairly sure we have destroyed any other nuclear stockpile.