Oh I agree. My point was separating the Military capability from the Political.
IF DJT decides to go all in on Iran, the casualties won’t play a part, as he’s got control. It may ensure no Republican gets elected for years - but at the end of the day I have already pointed out the main aspect is unlike Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, another state debating the use of nuclear weapons against another is a heck of a motivator to act.
As well as my point about you don't send Tier 1 NLI SMU's to go seize any old Russian flagged tanker - nor does POTUS tell the Russians that he will have the USN sink a Russian Frigate and SSN if they try to interfere with the seizure. A bunch of folks here know what the requirements are for NLI force usage.
Something sparked the Israeli's - and the USG into action. That tanker left Iran, bound for Venezuela - ran from the USCG, was reflagged by Russia while at sea, then boarded and seized by DevGrp/160th operating out of England.
Again it is all relative.
IF the case is made to the American public, that there is a need to expend blood and treasure - then that cost will be born.
What I do not see is a good case, or any attempt to make one. I am like many here not seeing an end state, nor a logical explanation for the actions.
I am however a little more in tune (I believe) to the lean of the current Admin down here.
You probably remember the bodies of Delta and 160th folks being torn apart in Somalia Oct 3 1993.
President Clinton bailed at that time, while most of America wanted more troops in to get payback in blood.
I think any Enemy COA that believes that morbid death scenes of American service members will accomplish that same result against this Administration is deluding themselves. I suspect with this Administration, that would result in B-52's conducting a restructuring of that countries geographic make up, and make the Dresden firestorm look like an amateur bonfire, as the Sec of War has no moral compass (IMHO) and no compunction about using about anything he can. Again go back to that freighter/tanker we seized - and not just who we used, but also threatening to sink a Nuclear Countries (Russia) vessels during the process - one just don't do that for shit's and giggles.
In not way am I trying to justify the actions, or make any sense of them - I think Iranian leadership needs to change - I however think this isn't the best COA for that for a multitude of reasons.
You can -- we did it post WW2 in Japan, and in South Korea. It just takes a decade to root, and a few more to start to stand on it's own.
The issue is the world (read Western Powers) are willing to sink the time and efforts in.
Either you go all in - total military occupation, and a massive influx of CIMIC type infrastructure and support, and have the buy in from your nation(s) that this is what is needed -- or you end up playing an endless game of whack-a-mole at various scales.
When you look at Iraq we failed significantly because the occupation was attempted on the cheap.
We failed in Afghanistan was we tried to push democracy with no support outside the cities -- it needed massive capital injections to give any tribal village a reason to reject tribalism (and the Taliban) - and most CIMIC projects failed due to either lack of understanding of what the people wanted -- or actually any efforts on the specific sponsor nations (
@Good2Golf probably remembers driving past the "Italian School" that never was more than a bare foundation on the way to Bagram from Kabul -- before the "Bottle Route Range"

)
Hindsight is always 20/20, but we have a host of failures and some limited successes to base COA's off of, I don't think anyone with a few braincells think this operation had much planning into it.
1) IF we went in solely due to the Israeli's, we had two viable options:
A - delay the IDF until we could bring Allies into the fold and assets needed into the AO
B - walk away - and if the Israeli government did in fact nuke a part of Iran -- well, that is unfortunate, but really nothing specifically to do with us.
What shouldn't have been a COA was go in half assed like we did.
2) If there was other reasons (like whatever was on that freighter/tanker) - it is pretty clear we signaled to the enemies that we knew what was on it, so there is no Int capability disclosure by revealing what it was to allies - and the American (and worldwide) public.
Then it wasn't solely the Israeli's - but still a NLI issue, then we either go in with the Israeli's - but also warn allies - and try to get a coalition - but also move an ass ton of assets into the AO.
Me if it warranted a regime change effort I'd have had XVIII Airborne Corps in Iran after the first few Air waves -- JSOC and Ranger support for sensitive site exploitation, MARSOC and the SFG's out to find anti-regime forces and mobilize them - and several Divisions from Big Army (and Guard) to occupy large cities, and the Marines to grab to coast.
Then CIVPOL and Civil Affairs - and a slew of NGO's.