Iran doesn't have to directly attack the Sunni Arab Gulf Estates, they just have to neutralize them and keep them from attacking, which Iran seems to be doing successfully as they bypass and encircle through proxies. I think Iran knows very well the "hundreds of billions" in armament that the Sunni Estates have purchased (plus training and mercenaries). So, the Iranians seem to be adeptly taking another route by using minimum force to "neutralize" maximum force: latest example Yemen.

Your definition of a successful air campaign and mine, might differ somewhat, for example when a REAL air force shows up and conducts operations other than gangsterism.   

The encirclement is not what they seek... they seek strategic points to use to project influence while at the same time demanding recognition from the world as a civilize country. ////// Let me shift the conversation a little to the use by the Iranians of asymmetric tactics... a couple of boats just kidnapped a huge ship in a Somalian pirate style... it is flagged in the Marshall Islands. Now we will see if the critics of the LCS will continue to do so when in those waters one of the best options to combat that type of action is precisely an LCS.

Here is the link... http://news.yahoo.com/maersk-tigris-ship-manager-declines-pentagon-says-iran-153907921.html

I respectfully disagree.

With the Iranian assessment that is, not the LCS. LCS could turn out to be a decent course of action: time will tell.

They are looking to seize strategic points like Yemen from where they can threaten shipping and Syria as an open-door to supply their proxies... they do not need to encircle... all they need are these small areas of sovereign space or lawlessness that will allow them to extend their influence. The Saudis hopefully will dislodge them from Yemen and a collapse in Syria would really bankrupt their multi-year investment on that regime.

The LCS was built to patrol and dominate a situation like that one in the Persian Gulf... they might need 5 or 6 of them (that would be 10 helicopters and 10 rigid-hull inflatables) plus every Cyclone they can lay their hands on. It is an area with huge amount of small vessel traffic that can camouflage asymmetric efforts as well as coast-line to hide. Hard to believe that after so much criticism something like this will happen and remind us why we built them like that.