Will President Donald Trump’s campaign of ‘maximum pressure’ against Iran, stumble into war by accident, miscalculation, or misreading of signals? The similarities to the 2003 build-up against Iraq, which led to the most unnecessary and destructive war, are eerie. And at least one key actor – US National Security Adviser John Bolton – is a common factor. Bolton, who also worked in the George W Bush administration, has long advocated regime change in Iran.

Then, as now, US ‘Intelligence’ – Iranian missiles being loaded on boats and proxy groups being activated – has made an appearance in a replay of ‘evidence’ of Iraq’s non-existent nuclear weapons programme.

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