It's the Brian Larry Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. On Monday, President Trump claimed that a former U.S. President

praised his aggressive actions regarding the conflict in Iran.

Listen.

I spoke to one of the former presidents who I actually like, actually speak to some.

I do like some people be shocking.

And he said, I wish I did what you did.

There aren't that many living former presidents, and guess what?

All have denied having such a conversation.

But our next guest argues that the United States could have, long ago,

toppled the Islamic Republic of Iran with its military might alone.

In fact, the U.S. has been involved in a standoff with

Iran that by one measure has outlasted the Cold War in terms of number of years from 1979 to the

present. Our guest writes, whatever has held back the dogs of war, it hasn't been a lack of

American ability. So the current war with Iran proves, he says, that with the U of war. It hasn't been a lack of American ability. So the current war with Iran

proves, he says, that with the U.S. dropping $3 billion in bombs and missiles within the first

hundred hours, it's time to look at some of the history. Historian Daniel Emmervar is a

contributing writer at the New Yorker, the Bergen Evans Professor

in the Humanities at Northwestern University, and author of the book, How to Hide an Empire.

His latest piece in The New Yorker doesn't just ask why is the war in Iran happening, but

why is it happening now? Professor Imovar, welcome to WNYC.

Thanks for having me on. You're interested in that clip of the president citing some

unnamed former president supporting this war, and none of them owned up to that. Why?

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