Originally Posted by pdf27

It seems highly likely that this is exactly what they're hoping for. Iran is a classic pressure cooker - huge numbers of unemployed young people, a repressive government, etc. One of the classic ways of taking the pressure off is to manufacture an external crisis - in which case the populace almost universally pull together and support the regime against an external threat. That's what Galtieri did in the Falklands, and I personally think that's what Iran is doing here. A military response plays into their hands and means they are more likely to frustrate our long-term goal (a democratic and non-threatening government in Tehran).

I have no objection to using whatever military force necessary if that's the only way to get our guys back safely.