
Prof. Robert Pape: Is Iran winning the war?
From UnHerd with Freddie Sayers by UnHerd
March 17, 2026 · 35 min
About this episode
Freddie Sayers interviews Professor Robert Pape about the escalating conflict between the US and Iran and its implications for global stability.
UnHerd's Freddie Sayers speaks with Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, Robert Pape, to discuss the high-stakes ‘escalation trap’ unfolding between the United States and Iran - breaking down the tactical successes and failures of the US military campaign and analysing how Iran is leveraging its geographical position and control of the Strait of Hormuz through low-cost drone and missile harassment. As Professor Pape draws comparisons to the Vietnam War and 1973 oil crisis, has the Trump administration lost control of the conflict's trajectory, and are we moving toward a dangerous ground power dilemma that threatens the global economy and the stability of the Western alliance? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Freddie Sayers
Guest: Robert Pape
Topics covered
- Iran
- US military
- geopolitics
- drone warfare
- global economy
- Western alliance
Keywords
- Iran
- US military campaign
- drone harassment
- Strait of Hormuz
- Vietnam War
- global economy
- Trump administration
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Chicago
Places: Iran, United States, Strait of Hormuz
More episodes of UnHerd with Freddie Sayers
- Will Pope Leo divide the Right? · June 1, 2026 · 48 min
- John Burn-Murdoch: What's causing the fertility crisis? · May 21, 2026 · 30 min
- Adrian Wooldridge: Why Labour should keep Starmer · May 12, 2026 · 53 min
- The stage is set for a new WWI · April 30, 2026 · 40 min
- Orbán's defeat is not a liberal victory · April 13, 2026 · 27 min
- Iain McGilchrist: How to escape left-brain thinking · April 12, 2026 · 1h 7m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the UnHerd with Freddie Sayers podcast page.