Vox's Josh Keating and author Vali Nasr explain what bombing Iran won’t accomplish.

This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Laura Bullard and Denise Guerra, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Further reading: Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History by Vali Nasr. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast.

Iranians protesting US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran. Photo by Getty Images.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices