Do airstrikes alone produce regime change? Experts say history supports Chris Murphy’s ‘Face the Nation’ claim that they don’t.

Usually, airstrikes combined with ground troops have a better likelihood of regime change success, experts say

As President Donald Trump launched air attacks on Iran Feb. 28, skeptics quickly argued that ousting a foreign country’s government — as the U.S. may be pursuing in Iran — takes more than airstrikes.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said creating an improved political system is unlikely unless there are boots on the ground.

“There is no history … that shows an air campaign alone will result in positive regime change,” Murphy said in a March 1 interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “In fact, there’s not a single example of it in the entirety of American history. An air campaign without at least the threat of a ground invasion, which the administration is ruling out, never results in a democratic rebirth in an authoritarian country.”