>>484734I don't think Iran really intends to "flatten" Isreal. They're looking for deterrence primarily, and if they can't have that they'll attempt to destroy Isreal's capacity to attack other countries in the region, while preserving Isreal's viability as a state.
They do have the fire-power to obliterate Isreal, but that won't come into play unless Isreal tries to use nukes. Some of the ultra Zionist hardliners want to use nukes in Lebanon, not because it serves a military objective, but rather as an attempt to intimidate.
If that happens Iran would switch it's economy to a war-time command economy, begin underground nuclear weapons testing and start continuously hammering Israel with conventional weapons, this time with the aim of destroying Isreal's viability as a state. I.d.k. if the US pulls out and looks away, but it's definitely possible, it's not worth it for the US to throw down on behalf of Israel, not economically and especially not politically.
At the moment this scenario is not very likely, the US military probably would act resolutely to frustrate any use of nuclear weapons they haven't approved. The other factor, as Alexander Mercouris puts it:
"Russia's long shadow descending upon the middle east", is changing the power equation in a major way.