March 09, 2026

The challenge of defining success in Iran

51 minutes

President Trump said this weekend that the United States demands the total, unconditional surrender of Iran. Then he said that a surrender might be whatever Donald Trump decides it to be. Senator Lindsey Graham says the Trump administration is already planning its next hit for Cuba. But does that mean the Iran war will end quickly, without democratic rights for the Iranian people? What are the goals exactly? Our guests discuss it. In studio:

Hein Goemans, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of the Peter D. Watson Center for Conflict and Cooperation at the University of Rochester, author of “War and Punishment,” and co-author of "Leaders and International Conflict"

Randy Stone, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester; and author of "Controlling Institutions," "Lending Credibility," and "Satellites and Commissars"

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