We’re Not in World War III Yet, Realist John Mearsheimer Explains

In his third appearance at Endgame, John Mearsheimer talks about the latest development on the global politics on the brink of another world war. The conversation spans from the Iran Conflict, the Ukraine War, East Asia, and the possibility of a nuclear war—soon.

More on this episode:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:01:57 - Monroe Doctrine: History & Future

0:09:14 - East Asia: “High priority item"

0:12:34 - “Bond between Iran and China will grow”

0:13:20 - Why the Ukraine War is a miscalculation

0:15:33 - Board of Peace

0:27:41 - The price you pay for a US alliance

0:32:16 - Israel’s end goal for Iran

0:39:42 - US-Iran, another miscalculation?

0:46:33 - How long will the US/Israel-Iran War last

0:54:27 - Ground troops

0:59:45 - Nuclear war possibility

1:02:48 - Are we in World War III already?

1:06:10 - Nuclear proliferation in a multipolar world

1:13:38 - Will the Shia and Sunnis come together?

1:19:16 - Economic repercussions

1:25:27 - Foreseeing US politics

1:44:27 - Frozen conflict in Ukraine

1:53:27 - Messages for aspiring diplomats

Recorded on March 5, 2026.

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About the guest:

John Joseph Mearsheimer is an international relations theorist (a realist) who served as the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982.

About the host:

Gita Wirjawan is an Indonesian entrepreneur and educator. He is the founding partner of Ikhlas Capital and the chairman of Ancora Group. Currently, he is teaching at Stanford as a visiting scholar with Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy.

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