History does not of course repeat, but the onset of the "phony war" in Europe from 1939 has a few interesting parallels to US threats, regarding continuing US threats versus Iran -- a war that is now "paused" via a phony ceasefire.
The Gleiwitz incident of 31 August 1939 concerned sabotage of a German radio station by Poles, where the accepted narrative - likely false - is that German soldiers posed as Poles in uniforms of Poland's army, in a sabotage attack on that radio station. Whether the official account is factual history or not [1] at least the Gleiwitz incident provided some pretext for the German invasion and occupation of Poland at that time.
Before the US/Israeli attack on Iran in June of 2025, IAEA official Grossi lied in essence, writing that Iran had nuclear development capability that could result in a weapon, providing the pretext for the US "twelve day war on Iran", from June 22, 2025.
Grossi's lies about Iran's nuclear program were bad enough, but Trump caught himself in his own nuclear lie, stating that "Iran's nuclear capability had been destroyed", then reversing himself before the February 28th US/Israeli attack on Iran.
In brief, at least the Germans had the Gleiwitz incident as their pretext for invading and occupying Poland in 1939 ("phony or not" ), whereas the US nuclear pretext for war on Iran is definitely phony. In fact, only recently did the former United States reveal that it attacked Iran on February 28th, 2026, at the behest and request of Israel.
https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-legal-adviser/2026/04/operation-epic-fury-and-international-law
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164291
Furthermore, it may be unfair to compare the Anschluss annexation of Austria by Germany in March, 1939, to the US abduction of Venezuela's leader and subsequent prima facie submission of Venezuela to US rule, but Venezuela may yet become a full vassal state to the US.
Likewise, it may be unfair to compare the warfare state of Israel to Mussolini's fascist Italy (with regard to Italy's inclusion in the Axis powers) since Israel is a far more accomplished fascistic military authoritarian "state" than Italy ever was.
In the "phony war" period prior to the onset of hostilities with Britain and France in World War Two, Hitler's threats and provocation from his public podium for all-out war in Europe at that time, certainly coincide with the language and threats that Donald Trump dictates every day about Iran from Truth Social, and the White House.
There is a very significant difference between the phony war of 1939 and now however, because Germany could effectively act on its threats whereas the US seems restricted in its ability to act on its own. And the Nazi leader did not typically lie about prosecuting his imperial intent, whereas Trump continually lies about his.
In closing I pray that -- phony war or not -- the US/Israeli war on Iran ends soon, without more bloodshed, which has certainly been real and not phony at all.
[1] The entirety of proof for this "false flag" attack is sourced from SS-Sturmbannführer Alfred Naujocks. When the war ended, Naujocks was a prisoner at the Nuremberg court where Naujocks had a pressing reason to lie about the Gleiwitz incident, to obtain leniency from the court. Fact is, Poland was desperate to draw England and France into the war, and most likely Polish saboteurs carried out the Gleiwitz radio station attack.
