How would WW111 manifest itself?

[Anomalocaris]

The fight against ISIS cannot be defined as a World War by any stretch of the imagination. There is precious little political will on the side of the US for a full-blown campaign, mainly due to the fallout from the Iraq/Afghanistan omnishambles. Russia is pretty much indiscriminately wiping its dick all over the region, and China is as far as I'm aware watching with mild, detached interest.

Then there's the fact that trying to actually fight ISIS is something akin to trying to strangle smoke with your bare hands. This is not a war that will be won with bombs, but with ideas. I only hope the Old Guard wakes up to that fact before a large portion of the ME is irradiated.

We really can't afford to nuke the ME for reasons. The reasons being political and environmental. Especially that last one 
we would piss off Russia unless you know they are on board with it and even then think about the rest of isis
that are probably hiding out somewhere in other countries.

And also it is not in the interest of the strong to have precedent set by either itself or others for lowering the threshold of nuclear release.

Nuclear weapon is the last resort of a refime that can't compete, and has no friends.