Exploit the Hole in the Persian Islamist Strategy, the Cuban Model

The situations in Iran and Lebanon demonstrate the strategy of the Persian Islamists and by understanding the commonalities between the two one can perhaps figure a way to counter this strategy by exploiting a hole in their strategy. In both arenas the Islamists have taken over the government or have made the government irrelevant and have armed themselves to implement their apocalyptic agenda at the expense of the majority of the people living in their midst. Neither the Iranian nor the Lebanese majorities desire the  theological radicals but have no way of dismantling them by themselves, as they are overmatched lacking the necessary firepower. 

Concurrently, the West and other Persian gulf states desire to rid the region of Islamic radicalism and have the firepower but lack the willingness to complete the job which can only be done by invading and placing boots on the ground. No matter how many bombs are dropped from the skies of Iran, the Islamist government of Iran will survive to live another day. It will take an extended period of time to remove the IRGC from its position and surgical strikes against them require an intimate knowledge of their identities and locations. 

Taking a population hostage against its will provides the West with the exact advantage and partner it needs to overturn the regime. A population under a tyrannical regime provides the exact hole in the strategy that needs to be exploited to overturn the regime. The Iranian people know exactly the identities of the IRGC along with their locations and would happily provide this information to the West. But elimination cannot be done from indiscriminate bombing from the air. It has to be surgical and this can only be done with boots on the ground. 

A coalition needs to be created joining the US, moderate Persian gulf countries and Israel. The coalition should invade and take over the Southwestern portion of Iran taking control of the Persian Gulf which would immediately open the Strait of Hormuz and allow the free flow of oil, eliminating the economic stranglehold. Essentially, this region would be annexed and a long term military base set up by the coalition. Not dissimilar to the Cuban situation.

Once this military base is established, the process of eliminating the IRGC can be implemented. Using Israeli intelligence and the information provided by the Iranian people, surgical strikes can be commenced eliminating the Islamists until they surrender their power. Favorable Iranians can be armed to also be instrumental in taking back their country from the unwanted theocrats. This takes time but is the only way to effect regime change.

Boots on the ground is generally considered a line that certainly, the US doesn't want to cross and is deemed to be one that the American people would strongly oppose. But if it is packaged within a coalition, portrayed as the Cuban model, and with the resulting opening of the strait of hormuz and resulting economic boom, these may soften the blowback. For sure, this is a gamble worth taking in order to rid the World of theses Islamic supremacists who take populations hostage in order to implement their apocalyptic extremism.