Once again, it’s time to dust off that old saying often credited to Mark Twain: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” It’s a fitting phrase to describe the recurring cycles of deception and violence that humanity seems doomed to repeat. Falsehoods are spread, hatred is stirred, wars break out, and genocides are committed. Aggressors justify their actions in the name of self-defense, while victims are dehumanized. Eventually, the conflict ends, lessons are supposedly learned, and the mantra “never again” becomes widely accepted—until it all starts again, with a different set of players but similar underlying themes. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it surely rhymes.

The term “weapons of mass destruction” became popular in the early 2000s. Repeated endlessly by George W. Bush and his eager British ally Tony Blair, the phrase dominated the media landscape following the events of 9/11. I was only about seven years old then, and even though the full meaning of the term eluded me, the ominous way it was used made a clear impression. Weapons of mass destruction seemed terrifying, and they were supposedly in the hands of a distant, mustachioed dictator who needed to be stopped.

The invasion of Iraq led by the U.S. in 2003 is estimated to have resulted in over 250,000 deaths and displaced millions. Amidst the ensuing chaos, ISIS emerged, spreading their own brand of terror and destruction. Although Saddam Hussein was removed from power, the alleged weapons of mass destruction were never found—because they never existed. The false claims by Bush, Blair, and their supporters led to widespread death and suffering, yet they faced no repercussions. Today, an elderly Bush takes to painting, while Blair enjoys his knighthood, yet the quarter-million lives lost remain forever gone.

The echoes of these events can be seen in Israel’s current conflict with Iran. Israel is now bombing its major adversary, supported enthusiastically by its American patron and its timid European partners, using the familiar pretext: the threat of imminent weapons of mass destruction. Iran is purportedly close to developing nuclear weapons, and thus, any action taken to prevent this is deemed justifiable, even if it results in the deaths of more children in the process.

Iran is labeled a nuclear “threshold state”—one that could potentially weaponize its nuclear capabilities but hasn’t yet done so. It is a participant in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and allows its nuclear sites to undergo inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA has raised some concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities, but, as Kelsey Davenport from the Arms Control Association recently explained in The Financial Times, transforming weapons-grade uranium into a deliverable nuclear weapon would take “months, possibly up to a year.” She clarified that “there was no imminent nuclear threat.”

Israel claims it is acting in “self-defense” by initiating an unprovoked attack on Iran, citing a non-existent Iranian nuclear threat as its justification. This scenario mirrors the pretext for America’s earlier war in Iraq, and the outcomes could be equally catastrophic. Ironically, Israel’s actions might actually increase Iran’s motivation to develop nuclear capabilities, as diplomatic efforts to curb Israeli aggression seem futile. After Trump scrapped Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement in 2018, and with new nuclear negotiations about to begin, Israel’s aggressive stance could destroy any progress toward peace. The duplicity of the U.S. and Israel might drive Iran to finally pursue nuclear armament. In perpetuating the myth of an imminent Iranian nuclear threat, Israel might inadvertently set the stage for it to become a reality.

However, the real risk of nuclear conflict in the Middle East doesn’t come from Iran, which hasn’t developed nuclear weapons yet. Instead, it comes from Israel, which is estimated to have over 90 nuclear warheads and the means to deploy them via land, air, and sea. Unlike Iran, Israel has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and doesn’t allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities. While never officially acknowledging its nuclear arsenal, Israel occasionally hints at its willingness to use these weapons.

As Western nations condemn Iran and amplify fears of its nuclear potential, a true nuclear power is actively engaged in warfare, demonstrating a blatant disregard for human life and international norms. Israel perpetrates genocide, expands its borders arbitrarily, and exposes international standards as a sham. Once again, it is those who actually possess weapons of mass destruction who inflict chaos and death, all the while shifting the blame to those who lack them. History, as always, finds its rhymes.