The US is giving mixed messages about the end game of the war with Iran. Reports previously suggested Washington may be preparing for a prolonged campaign that could last up to 100 days, possibly even into September. But US President Donald Trump said in Florida on Monday that the US-Israeli military strikes against Iran are predicted to be over soon. Meanwhile, the escalation has already unsettled energy markets, drawn in regional actors, and reignited debate over the future of the Middle East security order.

This edition of Dialogue is an exclusive interview with Professor John Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at University of Chicago and one of the world’s most influential scholars of international relations.