President Trump is not a warmonger. I believe that he earnestly seeks world peace, and he will do all he can to achieve and preserve it. At the same time, he is acutely aware of the dangers of nuclear proliferation and the risks of a cataclysmic nuclear conflict.

It’s bad enough that China, Pakistan, Russia and North Korea have nuclear weapons, but he believes that these nations are constrained by knowledge that any use of these atomic weapons on their part will lead to their obliberation.

Iran is another problem. If Iran develops a nuclear weapons arsenal, its Middle Eastern neighbors will immediately seek to match them, and the possibility of an atomic Armageddon would be multiplied many times over. The zealotry of Iranian religious leaders magnifies the danger. Their hatred of the Jews and “The Great Satan” may override all other considerations.

Trump is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weaponry. He hopes to persuade them through diplomacy, sweetened with economic inducements. If that fails, it would appear that the United States and Israel are prepared to apply military force.

That would mean to bomb.

What would be the consequences?