The Current Is This War About to Get Bigger?
6 snips
Mar 30, 2026 
Dahlia Shandlin, political analyst in Tel Aviv, explains Israeli public mood and shifting war aims. Robert Pape, UChicago political scientist, outlines escalation dynamics and why deployments risk irreversible ground combat. Arash Azizi, historian reporting on Iranians, describes daily fears, changing public opinion, and political constraints on negotiations. The conversation traces signs of widening conflict and the barriers to a clear off-ramp.
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Fear Of War And Fear Of What Comes After
- Many Iranians fear both prolonging the war and its sudden end because either outcome could worsen repression.
- Azizi notes people once hoped regime weakening might bring freedom, but now fear a harsher postwar crackdown.
Postwar Iran Would Face Economic And Political Crisis
- If the war ends now both regime and society face crisis: the state can't meet basic needs and Iranians must reckon with recent mass repression.
- Arash Azizi reminds listeners of the January protests and thousands killed, leaving a traumatized society.
Watch Deployments Not Diplomatic Rhetoric
- Track concrete military movements not public rhetoric to assess escalation risk.
- Robert Pape warns deployments and air campaigns continue despite peace talk language, so watch troop reversals as the real signals.