Donald Trump has been warned that Iran has “nothing to lose” as speculation mounts that the US President is poised to order military action. Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood said the US president was “boxing himself in” by escalating pressure on Tehran while simultaneously signalling that he does not want a wider conflict.

Mr Ellwood said: “Trump will attack. He’s boxing himself into a corner. But he does not want to get involved. So he will leave it hanging, making the situation very dangerous. There will be a civil war, and the army will win.” Mr Ellwood added that in Mr Trump’s mind, there has “never been a better time to punish Iran”.

However, he added: “Trump’s looming airstrikes will not provide a workable solution,” adding they are likely being done for political effect.

He explained: “It looks good back at home, but it risks opening Pandora’s box in the Middle East. Iran has nothing to lose.”

Mr Ellwood’s remarks come as the White House has stepped up its military posture in the region.

The US has moved an aircraft carrier and other military assets to the Persian Gulf while suggesting it could strike Iran over the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran carries out mass executions following nationwide protests.

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A second aircraft carrier is now off the coast of Morocco and could head towards the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Mr Trump has also pushed Iran’s nuclear programme back into focus after a June war disrupted five rounds of talks previously held in Rome and Muscat, Oman. Two further rounds of negotiations have taken place, but have yet to produce a deal.

It remains unclear whether additional talks will happen. Regional governments fear that a collapse in diplomacy could trigger a broader war.

US concerns extend beyond uranium enrichment to Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for proxy networks across the region. Tehran insists negotiations should focus solely on the nuclear issue.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country is “not seeking nuclear weapons … and is ready for any kind of verification”.

However, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has for months been unable to inspect and verify Iran’s nuclear stockpile.

Mr Trump initially sought to jump-start diplomacy by writing to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last year. He later acknowledged sending the letter and warned that if talks failed, military action would be “a terrible thing”.

Ayatollah Khamenei has said Iran would respond to any attack with one of its own, particularly as the country’s leadership grapples with unrest following protests that began over the collapse of the rial and escalated into nationwide demonstrations.

Those protests were followed by a crackdown in which thousands were killed and tens of thousands detained, according to reporting cited by the Associated Press.

Iran maintains its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is now enriching uranium to 60% purity—near weapons-grade levels—and has amassed a stockpile far exceeding the limits set under the 2015 nuclear deal.

The IAEA has been unable to assess the full state of the programme in recent months.

Israel, a close US ally, believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon and has called for the dismantling of its nuclear infrastructure, along with an end to its missile programme and support for militant groups including Hezbollah and Hamas.