On August 7, Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and author of the Substack column "Escalation Trap," suggested that after failing to defeat Iran through air and naval power, President Trump may ultimately deploy U.S. ground forces. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Pape stated, "President Trump may not initiate ground operations in the coming days or even weeks, but he has already recognized the limitations of air power. He receives daily reports on this. He has also seen the limitations of naval power—so now there is only one branch left, which is ground forces." Pape noted that U.S. ground military action against Iran may also not succeed, but Trump has no other options but to escalate further. He said, "This is what is called an escalation trap: either he advances in this direction or he chooses to concede, and Iran will become the fourth power center in the world. This would be a shocking failure for President Trump. His political legacy in history would be severely damaged." (Jinshi)
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Trump Faces 'Escalation Trap', May Consider Action Against Iran
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