Prof. Robert Pape: Is Iran winning the war?

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

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