The entire logic behind bombing Iran is an assumption that it is possible to actually stop their nuclear program by such action.  It can’t be done.  Bombing a country from the air has not, cannot, and will not force it to submit to force.  It could not be done in World War I when the concept was brand new.  It could not be done in World War II when the most serious attempts were made.  It could not be done in Vietnam when the US attempted to influence Hanoi on many occasions.  It could not be done in Kosovo, despite rumors to the contrary.

Air power is important.  A good case can be made that one cannot win a conventional war without air power, but a case cannot be made that conventional war can be won by air power alone.  With the apparent buildup to making a case for bombing Iran in the near future over their nuclear program, it becomes very important to understand what the adherents to such a plan have in mind.  It appears that plans are being made to bomb several thousand aim points to convince Iran to stop their nuclear program.

Bombing several thousand aim points will create a lot of damage.  It will not destroy the nuclear program, or at least we cannot guarantee we can destroy the nuclear program.  It will not convince the Iranians to stop their program.  If history is to tell us anything, it will merely cause them to redouble efforts and make their program even harder to destroy.  No country has ever been bombed into submission.  It cannot be done, now.  What bombing will do is to set the entire Middle East, including our friends, against us.  The United States will hand China and Russia a great opportunity to step into a vacuum and gain influence in the region to the detriment of America.

It may be a bad thing for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, but it is a worse thing to think that bombing Iran will fix the problem.  It will merely make things worse and certainly not solve the problem.