“Bombing is not going to bring down the Iranian regime and we are (wisely) not putting boots on the ground.”
Germany withstood relentless bombing for years in WWII. The North Koreans fought to a draw. The North Vietnamese fought for years, killed 50,000 Americans and accomplished their goal of uniting North and South Vietnam under communist rule. The Afghanistan Taliban held out for nearly 20 years before the US simply withdrew, leaving Afghanistan under Taliban rule. After years of fighting, Ukraine has held the mighty Russian army to a stalemate and is now actively attacking the Russian heartland and navy with drones. If the US does not commit ground troops, history shows Iran can endure a bombing campaign for years.
If Iran chooses to fight on indefinitely, the US has three options:
1). Ground invasion (US public will not accept the casualties)
2) Nuclear weapons (risks igniting WWIII with China and Russia)
3).Withdraw in defeat (the Vietnam & Afghanistan extended warfare options)
The American voter today has no tolerance today for an extended war against Iran, particularly when an imminent threat to the homeland has not been demonstrated. President Trump is losing credibility and public support every day this war continues. As the price at the pump climbs, support will erode more rapidly and public criticism of Trump inside the GOP will grow. Ask Lyndon Johnson’s ghost about unpopular wars destroying presidents.
And who would benefit most from such a thing?
Airplanes cannot destroy battleships.