Are the Iranians kidding?

Silent running has an analogy which might aid the strategic thinkers in the US:

A bull goes mad and starts rampaging about and is clearly going to kill people, you don’t shoot it because…. well fuck I don’t know but thats the argument.

Now if I just put some sticks and leaves over this massive bear trap “someone” might just walk right into it.

Talk about your subtle traps.

This would be a joke except that our most esteemed thinkers seem to think: 1) The Iranian president is just kidding; 2) maybe he's lying; 3) saner heads (!!!) might prevail; 4) he doesn't really have the power; 5) the tooth fairy will intervene.

Of these options, #5 seems the most realistic.