WAR UPDATE: Harvard Professor on Iran, Russia, China, and Trump’s Dangerous Moves in the Middle East
August 24, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"This Was a War of Choice": Stephen Walt on Iran, Russia, China, and the Shape of the Post-War World
The United States is now fighting a war with Iran that was not forced upon it. Harvard professor Stephen Walt, one of the most prominent international relations scholars of the last four decades, is clear on this point: "This was a war of choice for the United States. There was no imminent need to do this. This was not a vital interest we were defending." The proximate cause, Walt argues, was Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House, where he persuaded Donald Trump that Iran was teetering and a sharp rap would bring the regime down quickly. Previous American presidents—Obama, Biden, Trump in his first term—had all heard similar pitches and said no. This time, Trump said yes, persuaded in part by the success of the Venezuela operation and by his own belief in his deal-making abilities. The problem is that Iran's motivation is entirely different. "For the Iranian regime, this is a war of survival. This is absolutely existential. Our stated goal at the very beginning was to topple them. Their resolve, their willingness to suffer in order to win is much greater than ours."
Why Resolving the Iran War Is Nearly Impossible
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:31) **Post-War World: A More Dangerous Tri-Polar System** - The professor outlines a world defined by three major powers (US, Russia, China) with unresolved tensions, eroded trust in America, and a collapse of norms against assassination.
- 2 (09:55) **Why America Misjudged China's Rise** - The professor explains the bipartisan hubris that assumed China would inevitably become a liberal democracy after embracing markets, and how US corporate greed accelerated the shift in economic power.
- 3 (15:30) **The Sphere of Influence Debate: Why a Secure China is Dangerous** - The professor argues that while China wants a sphere of deference in Asia, the US should prevent it, as a secure China would be free to project power globally, much like the US does.
- 4 (18:28) **Baffling Policy: Trump and the North Korea/South Korea Dynamic** - The professor analyzes Trump’s admiration for Kim Jong-un and his belief in personal deal-making as a dangerous and counterproductive strategy.
- 5 (23:24) **Root Causes of the Iran War** - The professor identifies Netanyahu's persuasion, Trump's hubris from the Venezuela operation, and a desire for a legacy as the proximate causes for the war, rejecting the nuclear threat as a valid reason.
- 6 (28:20) **Why No Anti-War Protests?** - The professor discusses the lack of public opposition, pointing to the all-volunteer force, low casualties, and a general battle fatigue among the public.
- 7 (34:08) **Why Trump Couldn't End the Ukraine War** - The professor explains that Trump’s promise was unrealistic, as the conflict requires resolving serious security issues that cannot be solved by personal charisma or sending Jared Kushner to talk to Putin.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
The United States surrendered to Iran months ago but the war continues. Stephen Walt of Harvard on where it’s going.
(00:00) What Will the World Look Like After the Wars?
(22:32) The Real Reason We're at War With Iran
(27:08) Why Haven't There Been Any Anti-War Protests?
(32:00) Why Didn't Trump End the Russia-Ukraine War?
(45:49) How Will the Iran War End?
(56:37) The Potential for Nuclear War
Stephen M. Walt is a columnist at Foreign Policy and the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations at Harvard University. He is the author of The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy, which examines the failures of the American foreign-policy establishment. Walt is a longtime critic of U.S. interventionism and advocates for a more restrained foreign policy focused on America’s national interests.
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