I am afraid I am more pessimistic than you gringo. As you have noted the US are now clearly planning direct and massive intervention. They would of course suffer big losses if they tried to conquer Iran as they did Iraq, but they could still smash Iran in my view unless other countries come to its support. Although some support has been expressed by Russia, China and Pakistan I doubt if any are going to provide military assistance. The Arab countries are frankly pathetic on this, Jordan in particular. They are not going to give any support and virtually give a free hand to the USA. Meanwhile the genocide in Gaza and moves to annex the West Bank continue, with limited media coverage. I think Russia is much more concerned with Ukraine. Putin wants the US to stand away from Europe and enable Russia to achieve its aims and is prepared to appease Trump over Israel in order to do that. We have to remember that Russia is not the USSR. If the USSR still existed the situation would be totally different. There is also no way that China will get directly involved.
I think the situation is very grim, much to the satisfaction of characters like Steve. However, I believe he will not be so happy in the longer term.
You are probably correct, ngb, in terms of the US and Arab states, you are certainly correct. I do hold some expectation however that Russia/China will give assistance to Iran. The basis of this expectation is the importance of Iran to both China and Russia. It is a crucial part of BRI (Belt Road Initiative) and vital to the Multipolar world the Chinese/Russians have been assiduously building over the last decades. More importantly it is of massive strategic importance in terms of the security of both China and Russia. They cannot, for a number of reasons, see it fall. I see a role, much as NATO have played in Ukraine, where Russia and China will arm and assist Iran in ways similar to NATO's proxy. ISR assistance, endless flow of missiles etc. It is a golden opportunity for China/Russia to fight NATO behind plausible deniability, I expect them to take it. I also expect it is already well gamed by Russia/China/Iran. In fact, from China/Russia point of view it is a perfect trap, a scenario better than their wildest dreams.
NATO/Israel would never plan going to war in the way that this is unfolding. It isn't a plan or strategy, it is on the hoof desperation measures. NATO/Israel are ill prepared to take on this fight but understand that the military gap between them and Russia/China is tilting more against them with time. They are going now not because they are prepared and ready but because next month, next year they will be even less prepared than now.
Last year sometime there was a summit with China/Russia, after which Putin and Xi said the world was about to see changes that hadn't been seen in centuries, or words to that effect. They have spent decades of time and billions in treasure strategically, economically and militarily preparing for these changes. I don't think that they will passively allow it all to be destroyed.
