Say USA went scorched earth on Iran Iran would reciprocate by burning down all important processing infrastructure in the GCC and probably water desalination plants, creating a bigger and more long term economic as well as humanitarian crisis USA would HAVE to support those countries which are basically vassal states, otherwise kiss goodbye to the petrodollar and US power in the Middle East and ultimately the loss of the American empire They simply can’t go that far, not because the USA gov cares about those people (they don’t). But because it would destroy their own country.