“When do you think the Israelis are going to hit them?”
Given the distances, the logistics and the regional politics, there is little chance of that Israel can sustain the level of air campaign that taking out or even delaying the nuclear program would take. Cruise missiles will not seriously damage the bomb program as they will only kill surface targets. Israel might make ballistic missile attacks but I’m not aware they have the kind of capability and the quantity of weapons that would be required.
As I see it the Israeli options are:
1. Lobby somebody else to make the required bombing effort.
2. Destabilize the regime.
3. Use espionage to slow the program down.
4. Hit Iran’s oil production facilities with cruse missiles and wait for the regime to collapse.
No matter what Israel does it will suffer the world’s combined weight for whatever Iran does in retaliation. If they select Option 4 the world will immediately suffer a financial meltdown as Iran supplies 20% of the world’s oil. Eighty percent of the world’s oil flows past the Straights of Hormuz, which Iran can control with mines and artillery.
I know Freepers will say, “Oh, our Navy can clear the straights and take out the guns.” That would require a presidential order.
Only a choice by Saudi Arabia to cooperate would make it possible. And with their Sunni disposition, they dearly loathe the Shiite in next door Iran (and the feeling’s mutual, though somehow Saudi Arabia manages to let them come and pilgrimage to Mecca without serious incident). Would the Saudis do the unthinkable and tell Israel “Ok you Jewish dogs, you got 48 hours, come on and sock it to Iran”???