ISTANBUL

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told broadcaster BFM TV on Thursday that the failure of the war launched by the US and Israel was "predictable from the first hour."

"The events we are seeing today are built on a certain idea of force and power," he said, adding that Washington is currently facing the "limits of this system" after 27 days of war.

Commenting on recent UN statements, de Villepin said the war is "out of control" and warned it could grow "larger" and provoke a "tide of human suffering."

"Over the past 25 years, we have continually made the same mistakes," he said, citing Western interventions in "Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and the Sahel."

The former prime minister, who served as foreign minister from 2002 to 2004, said "the ingredients for success are not present." He also criticized US President Donald Trump, saying he is trying "to put a diplomatic spin" on Iran.

For nearly a month, the US and Israel have carried out an air offensive on Iran, killing over 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.