Actually, it is only the Sunnis who have no central authority to whom they look (since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, until then the Ottoman Sultan had been the Caliph for centuries). The Iranian Shi’ites who are loyal to the government would stand down at the order of Ayatollah Khamenei. Those who aren’t probably regard Ayatollah Al Sistani of Iraq as their point of reference, and although he very cleverly words all of his pronouncements to avoid the appearance of siding with infidels against Muslims, he has been objectively pro-American since our invasion of Iraq. The ones who follow him wouldn’t really be a problem.
Actually Q’om is not that important a city to anyone. It may function as the clerical capital of Iran, but all of the major holy sites of Shia Islam are located in Iraq, Saudi Arabia or Syria (the most important being Najaf and Karbala in Iraq). The mosque in Q’om is maybe 15th or 16th in importance to Twelver Sh’ites.
I thought that the sacred well containing the 12 Mahdi was located in Qom? I’ve seen video of pilgrims sticking their notes through the grate down the hole to appeal to the 12 Mahdi directly.
If Qom turned into a giant crater, along with Mecca and Medina, you don’t think this would affect the Islamic religion worldwide?
Would they start praying, “Our god USED to be greatest” and carry on with “The Three Pillars of Islam?
Nope. I can’t see it.