From Bush Sr to Trump: the risks, lessons and legacy of US interference in the Middle East

While there are similarities with the wars against Iraq, the Iran conflict may prove to be the most dangerous and consequential yetThis is the third Gulf war and umpteenth outbreak of conflict since the United States took over as the dominant power and influence in the Middle East at the end of the cold war. And it is arguably the most dangerous, consequential and confused of them all.The destruction and chaos spreading across the region confirms the Middle East’s status as the world’s pre-eminent crisis factory, but it also raises questions as to how US presidents so often declare they are ending US interference in the region, only to be lured back in.