This war demonstrates the power of nukes. If Iran had nukes they would have been left alone. Ironically, if the regime isn't toppled they're going to try to get nukes more than ever
While the development of a nuke could be beneficial for the Theocracy, the Strait of Hormuz provides a ton more leverage and costs a lot less to use and deploy, and comes with almost no baggage. Trump has helped the weaponization of Hormuz become a thing, possibly making a nuclear weapon obsolete.
Why do you think clossing the straight of Hormuz is a comparable leverage to that of making the entire planet a barren wasteland? How's your reasoning?
Because one comes without the collateral damage, is much cheaper and safer, impacts the globe while acting locally.
The initial impact isn't remotely as drastic, however, the impacts add up and after a period of time, can have a substantial impact on the global economy. Best yet for the Iranian Theocrats, it becomes like a waterway filibuster, where merely threatening it can provide leverage because the follow-through isn't remotely as drastic as a nuclear weapon. It isn't called out as a bluff like a nuke because they've done it before, can easily do it again.
Hormuz doesn't make Iran a "global player", but it does increase their prominence and influence substantially, where as nuclear weapons merely protects the regime from incursions. Nukes provide leverage for staying in power, not mitigating things like sanctions. North Korea has had nukes for a while now, and are still heavily sanctioned. Hormuz is a weapon Iran can use now, thanks to the awful incompetence of Trump and Netanyahu.
