TEHRAN – Former CIA and Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has warned that the United States will inevitably find itself entangled in a regional war in West Asia if President Donald Trump chooses to launch a military strike against Iran.

Speaking to CNN, Panetta said: “If he attacks Iran, there is no doubt that the United States will find itself in a regional war.”

Panetta, who previously served as both the Secretary of Defense and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, urged Trump to learn from the past, pointing specifically to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He described that war as a “terrible mistake” and said the consequences of that decision should serve as a clear warning.

“Trump should learn from our huge mistake of invading Iraq,” Panetta stressed.