Robert Kaplan, Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the School of Civic Leadership, published “The Curse of Middle-Sized Wars” for Foreign Affairs

Kaplan argues that the United States is most vulnerable in conflicts that fall between quick strikes and total war, where objectives remain unclear and escalation risks spiral. Using Iran as a case study, he warns that these drawn-out, ambiguous wars often trap policymakers in costly, open-ended commitments with no decisive outcome.