Iran has prepared to its best ability to be able to absorb an US/Israeli attack plus retain strike capabilities on top of absorbing those attacks.
It did not prepare for a US limited ground ops in context of trying to actually repel such offensives. It cannot do that on those islands and coastal areas. The areas are large empty barren land and mountains. They cannot defend them without AA even with limited AA capabilities it would be a big struggle.
Instead they'd opt for trying to raise cost of such ops by striking at GCC infrastructure and maybe on Israel.
Trump is not taking ground op route because Arabs refuse to be a staging ground for that right now and US army and government is respecting that decision up until now.
Iranian asymmetrical tactics also helped it retain strike capabilities against region. Mostly GCC and Saudi area unclear if they have anything up their sleeves for Israel but they haven't used their maximum capacity. And they likely have a large capacity than what is known to public, but US army and government is aware of it of that probability and taking it into account.
Now if the resumption of war happens every few months while naval blockade and economic warfare continues, it's setting up a opportunity for limited ground ops in next year or two. However, there is no strategic objective to that if Iranian population doesn't revolt as US army won't be used for regime change war/occupation Iraq style.
Thus it may not happen at all. Netanyahu and Israel never had a credible regime change plan that doesn't involve dragging the US into a occupation regime change long term and costly war. Which is why Trump allowing them to start the war was a mistake as they were already cooperating on nuclear profile. Trump administration knew for a fact Israel doesn't actually have a credible plan for anything but still went ahead.
So we're back to zero where plan is now to get Iran back into a nuclear agreement deal but try to coerce them into giving up enriched uranium and any demand for sovereignty over SOH.
For anyone confused on US objective. I will tell what you it is clearly :
1.) Get Iran to give up enriched uranium plus low grade enrichment for energy purposes only
2.) Restrictions on Iranian nuclear program (such as rebuilding some of it if possible )
3.) Dropping demand to monetize SOH or establish sovereignty over it
4.) Potential restrictions on ballistic missile program
^^
Tying all the above with releasing frozen assets + reconstruction funds for Iran.
^^^
Iran thus will continue to threaten navigation in SOH, demand to monetize it, will refuse restrictions on ballistic missile program, will refuse sending enriched uranium out of country and will refuse limitations on nuclear program
A new round of US/Israeli strikes won't weaken Irans position by much. Simply because it doesn't need to do any of that. It literally doesn't. It's not out of stubborness it's that nobody is able enforce any of those conditions, realistically.
Israel sold out the USA and totally disappeared from the arena. Leaving American taxpayers and consumers having to deal with this impossible war (impossible to achieve intended objectives ).
