An ex-federal agent has explained why he thinks Donald Trump started a war with Iran.
Back on 28 February, the US and Israel began a war on the Middle Eastern nation by firing missiles at them.
This led to retaliatory attacks from Iran on nearby countries in the region, such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar among others, as they targeted US military bases in particular.
Trump recently claimed that the conflict is 'very complete', saying that Iran now has 'nothing left' while being left with 'no navy, no communications', and 'no air force'.
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He added that their 'drones are being blown up all over the place', calling for Iran to 'surrender or die', among other graphic threats.
Bombings from the US and Israel have successfully killed the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though his son Mojtaba Khamenei has taken the reins since.
The Iranian leader has sent a message of intent to soldier on, by revealing a missile which was inscribed with the words: “At your service, Sayyid Mojtaba,” reaffirming its allegiance to the new leader.
While former Trump security adviser John Bolton claimed that Iran were just days from getting their hands on nuclear weaponry, former CIA agent Andrew Bustamante explained what is 'really going on' in the Middle East, when speaking to The Mirror.
As Operation Epic Fury has resulted in a surge in oil and gas prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Bustamante explained that when he was in the CIA, they would produce an annual national threat assessment which would be handed to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
This is known as the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community and while publicly available, it is used by Congress to 'fund intelligence operations' for the next year.
"Iran very clearly, in that document published in March of 25, is not working on weapons of mass destruction, has no plans to increase or enhance its uranium enrichment, and may be at the early stages of research and development for chemical and biological weapons," the podcast host explained.
He pointed out that just three months later, the US bombed Iran as they were accused of 'enriching uranium beyond military grade or up to military-grade levels'.
Bustamante added: "In stark contrast, what we were told as the public contradicted what the ODNI published as an official source document for the national intelligence infrastructure. But that's only one of several documents."
The former CIA operative said that documents from the US Department of War (previously the Department of Defense) and the White House's national security strategy didn't 'highlight Iran' as a national security priority.
He then spoke more about Trump and explained that the decision to take military action may be more about 'personal legacy' then anything else.
Bustamante claimed: "I suspect there is an element of Trump trying to protect his personal legacy more so than his presidential legacy. He's trying to protect the brand Trump and make sure that that brand is always associated with strength and power."
But he also theorised that the US know that they are declining in power and as a result, 'they have to try to scramble back as many wins, victories as they possibly can'.
He suggested that the Trump administration looked to take advantage of what was 'low-hanging fruit', highlighting that Venezuela was 'not a national security issue'.
Describing the situation as a 'sad news story' for the Middle East, the former agent said that by being allied with Israel, they can 'keep Iran in check', while allies such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan mean that they do not have to 'get involved'.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Politics, World News
Joshua Nair