I think what I find the most interesting about this is that the people who say they are pro-Israel and want to attack Iran somehow don't comprehend that Israeli civilians will end up being killed if Iran is attacked. Since Iran cannot attack the US directly, they will attack US military bases in the region, but will also attack Israel as well. This won't be a normal attack, it will most likely be sustained for as long as possible and the opening salvos may be quite hard. Israeli civilians will most likely end up being killed if Iran is attacked. Thus, I must ask the people who want Iran to be attacked: Do you think it is worth it?
Well, lets see, have a few possibly get killed or the whole nation if Iran completes nuclear weapons and a system to deliver it? It is not only worth it, it is pretty much imperative.
You are also apparently unaware of the disparity in systems capability, quality of personnel and some politics in the region.
Iran has very limited longrange/medium range missle capability. Mostly some chinese and ex-soviet systems, so unless Russia or China suddenly start upping Irans iventory, they have a limited supply. Israel also has Patriot missle defence systems, depending on stock piles, Iran may not be able to get a non-balistic missle through. Iran may have a few home built Balistic missles, but not enough to cause much damage without Nuclear/Chemical warheads. Iran does however have chemical capabilites but I am not sure how much delivery capability they could muster up.
Iran has some fighters that might, maybe make it all the way to Israel, that is assuming that they can cross either Turkey (A NATO country), Iraq and Syria (a Sunni Muslim country that has provided materials, arms and financial support for insurgents in Iraq fighting the Irannian backed Shi'ite muslims or Saudi Arrabi (which is strongly opposed to Iran going Nuke and has fought for decades to curb Iranian influence in the region, Saudi may not support Israel (they also hate them) but they also would not support Iran either). If NATO stays neutral, very likely, then Turkey/NATO would shoot down either sides aircraft that enter their air-space. Turkey may be Muslim, but they value their ties to NATO too much to risk supporting Iran. Syria maybe a possible route, considering the really screwed up situation there, but to get to Syria, they would have to cross Iraq. Israel might make it on this route if the US turns a "blind eye" or outright supports them, Iran stands no chance of crossing Iraq as the US forces there would consider them potentially or even outright hostile, and Iranian aircraft against a US built and manned Air-Defence system would just be meat to the grinder. Saudi Arabia, as I said earlier has opposed Iran for a longtime now, this partly goes back to the old Sunni-Shi'ite thing. Saudi is also most likely going to stay neutral in this whole thing. They won't let either side cross, which they dislike more Israel or Iran, take a guess, because I sure as heck don't know. Saudi's Air Defences are mostley US and French made, I wouldn't exactly put thier personnel in the same league as the US or Israel, but they should be able to handle Iran's Air Force. That leaves going the long way around the Arabian peninsula, which is going to pretty much be determined by either a stop off to refuel or air-to-air refueling. Israel definitely should have this capability, very doubtful on the Iranian side.
Iran has either old US Aircraft that they have had since the 1970s or earlier without any kind of parts or supplies for them since then. Iran was the only country to receive the F-14, but since the US Navy no longer uses them because of maintenance, it is doubtful if Iran could get any of theirs to fly and even if they did, their armaments are 40 years old. They have some Soviet Era planes and possibly some French or Chinese ones, but as demonstrated twice in Iraq, putting them up against US made fighters with well trained pilots (which I assure you, the Israelis are) is a no win situation for these Aircraft. Ok, no chinese made aircraft were in Iraq, but most of their stuff is chinese made copies of Soviet sytems.
Without a nuclear warhead and delivery system, Iran is not a military threat to Israel, even if the US did not intervene. In a convential strike against Israel, the Iranians would kill less civilians than Hamas does with it's rocket attacks.
