4/8/26 Robert Pape: Trump’s Ceasefire Does Not Close the Escalation Trap

About this episode

Scott Horton interviews Robert Pape about the implications of a recent ceasefire and its potential to escalate conflict involving Iran.

Scott brought Robert Pape of the University of Chicago back to discuss the attempted ceasefire that went into effect on Wednesday night. Pape explains why this is not actually a meaningful step away from the escalation to a full-on war that he’s long been warning about. He also talks about how this is war is cementing Iran’s status as a world power and why he expects the Iranians to abandon their previous stance, begin earnestly pursuing nuclear weapons and attain them quickly. Discussed on the show: “The Pause That Isn’t: Why the Iran Ceasefire Changes Everything” (The Escalation Trap) “The War Is Turning Iran Into a Major World Power” (The New York Times) Robert A. Pape is Professor of Political Science and Director of the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats and the author of Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War. Follow him on Twitter @ProfessorPape Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! For more on Scott's work: Check out The Libertarian Institute…

People in this episode

Host: Scott Horton

Guest: Robert Pape

Topics covered

• ceasefire
• Iran
• escalation
• nuclear weapons
• war
• political science

Keywords

• ceasefire
• Iran
• escalation trap
• nuclear weapons
• Robert Pape
• Scott Horton
• politics

Sponsors

Podsworth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Chicago, The Libertarian Institute

Books & works: Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War, Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine

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