Reply #2: I doubt we're going to attack.

[megatherium]

But if we did, those sunburn missiles and so forth will have no ready targets. Our carrier task forces will be out of missile range. Our attack will be by missile and stealth bomber, until their air defenses have eroded away to the point where we can bring in B-52s. Iran's nuclear program will be badly damaged, and all command and control assets will be destroyed. Much of the infrastructure will be gone.

Iran does have the ability to destroy middle eastern oil production or at least shipping. This will be a problem. Perhaps the US leadership expects these interruptions to be temporary and managable: when the Iranian government is dead, the successors will regret the radical Islamic politics that invited the ruinous US attack.

Now, again, I do not expect this. I am not certain but I believe US leadership has concluded that an attack is not possible (its risks considerably outweigh its gains). Possibly therefore, this leaked story is just US misinfo, to bully Iran.

It the story is not misinfo, it might represent a dissident faction in the US government that wants the public to be aware that the government is moving towards military action against Iran, because they want the public to stop it. Personally, I doubt this theory -- I imagine anyone revealing high-level talks of this kind would be committing a serious crime.