For me, I believe that the events would go like this:
1. Another "terrorist" attack happens in America and the U.S Government blames it on Iran.
2. [1st Week] In the interest of national security, U.S. invades Iran "for the people". Also, martial law happens, the U.S. becomes a police state and
the bill that allows the U.S. army to arrest U.S. citizens without a trial gets pass to "prevent" another attack from happening.
3. [2nd Week] Demonstration against the martial law, bill and the government occurs across the U.S. Meanwhile in Iran, the war goes on as U.S. tries
to stir trouble within Iran so that the Iranian government would be overthrown and the U.S. could step in.
4. [3rd Week] The U.S. Army arrest any person suspected for demonstration, rioting, rebellion or terrorism regardless of age, including children.
Roads are constantly patrolled by police and tanks. The U.S. unofficially becomes a dictatorship.
5. [1-3 Months later] After months of fighting in Iran, the U.S has slowly started to push the Iranian forces back. Russia and China sees the possible
threat that the U.S. might invade them next and starts sending reinforcement to Iran.
6. [3 Weeks later] The U.S. slowly gets pushed back as Iran, China and Russia fights the U.S. army. In fear that the war might be brought to U.S.
soil, the U.S. desperately searches for an ally.
Optional 6.5 [4 Weeks later] The U.S. lost after months of fighting without any ally. The U.S. surrenders, its government changed and the people free
from dictatorship. Two new superpower rises to replace the U.S; Russia and China. (Happy ending)
7. [1 Week later] Greece joins in the war on the U.S. side after the U.S promised to help Greece out of their debt problems if they helped the U.S. in
the war.
8. Nations of the world started to split themselves into the groups for their personal interest. Previous alliances are broken as nations started to
be dragged into the war. Meanwhile, Russia and China tries to get the neighboring nation and their allies to fight of the U.S.
9. [2 Weeks later] World War 3 officially begins
10. [7 months later] After months of fierce fighting, the first nation casualty of war fires of a Nuclear ICBM in a desperate mean to survive. This
sparks of the Nuclear War.
11. [1.5 Months] After a long and deadly battle with nuclear weapons, humanity was wiped out. Whether another sentient species or life would grow on
Earth is not known.
OR
11. After a long and deadly battle with nuclear weapons, the few remaining survivors of the war crawled out from underground bomb shelter to rebuild
civilization. Whether they could face the dangers that await them is never known.
Well, some of them are branches of what might happen. Hopefully, this DOES NOT HAPPEN.
edit on 26-12-2011 by Artichoke because: (no reason
given)