If you feel a sense of déjà vu with the state of the US–Iran war, you’re not alone.

In recent days, Iran has again demanded the Trump administration lift sanctions on the country, unfreeze Iranian assets and remove its military blockade, in return for Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz. This basically reiterates what the two sides agreed to in a memorandum of understanding in June.

US President Donald Trump responded by demanding Iran pay compensation for thousands of US soldiers and Iran’s own civilians killed over the past 50 years.

He is also claiming (again) the US has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran maintains the strait will remain closed until the US has met its conditions.

With both sides stuck in a rinse-and-repeat cycle in their rhetoric, it seems all the more likely they will again resort to military strikes to try to force the other side to concede. This has been the pattern both have followed since the war began on February 28.

Can this pattern ever be broken, and what would it take?

Repeating patterns show lack of exit plan

When Trump feels backed into a corner, he reacts in a predictable way. At least seven times to date, he has threatened mass destruction of Iranian transport, energy infrastructure and even “civilisation”. He has then changed tack, calling off military strikes and claiming........

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