[orwin]

Hitting desalination plant will mostly (and almost only) hurt the population outside of IRGC power circle, exactly the population the USA incited to rebel for a few years, with pakistani help. Basically South Alborz. Iran did have a water crisis, but it was agricultural water that made them have to import more food, not an issue of drinking water. The only way to truly start a global Iranian famine (what a terrible weapon tbh, i can't help but to think less of people who think about using it, it's impossible for me to stay neutral,it is an inhumane stance, and i would be ashamed of having it) is to block Iran northern trading routes to Russia/Kazakhstan/Azerbaijan, which, to be clear, is impossible.

[drivebyhooting]

re: Blocking the trading routes

Couldn’t you significantly degrade transportation via air campaign?

The problem, I think, is that these radical governments will refuse to abdicate even in the face of complete destruction. Look at what happened to Gaza.

[orwin]

Maybe, but you would have to hit them from Turkey, it is the limit of the f35 range from anywhere else. And bombing ships with b52 is expensive and dumb.

> The problem, I think, is that these radical governments will refuse to abdicate even in the face of complete destruction

Last time a government did this for a few years, we did get the 'keep calm and carry on' posters, so...

https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/kheft0...