“The Saudis would level Iran in about a few months.”
The Saudi military looks great on paper. But there are some systemic and, I think, fatal flaws. The leadership is drawn from the royal family and most, if not all, are there for political rather than military reasons. The Saudi government pays their people not to revolt. When the foreign exchange runs out, the people will revolt. Similarly, when the Saudis had trouble getting air force pilots to fly difficult missions in Yemen, they bought them Rolls Royce’s. The Saudi military has performed horribly in Yemen. If a position needs to be assaulted, the request is bumped upstairs and by the time a decision comes back down, the situation on the ground has changed and the decision is overcome by events. The opposite is true of the Iranian military, which now has much experience. Iranian decisions are made at the lowest and most efficient point by dedicated, empowered and motivated ground forces. Even with a ten to one advantage in manpower and technology, I don’t expect the Saudis to perform well. And, performing badly is a recipe for regime change.
Great points and explanation. I may be wrong.