On papa Iran has a large army, and it's likely to be well motivated - better than Saddam's in 1991. However, their Air Force is a full generation or more behind the American one and they have no Navy to speak of. A shooting war would begin with a comprehensive bombing campaign and air war that eliminated Iran's remaining air forces, missile forces, rail network and munitions dumps in that order. By the time the American and Iranian armed forces came to grips with each other the latter would be suffering major supply shortages and comprehensive lack of support.
America is very good at prosecuting a conventional war, it's asymmetric warfare they struggle with.
As to invoking the NATO charter - it depends on whether Iran escalates as they've threatened to.
Are we proposing to leave NATO?
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