Carter also warned there remained a risk that the UK could be dragged into a deadly future war if “escalation led to miscalculation” in an existing regional conflict, as he argued that the world was “a very uncertain and anxious place”.

“We have to remember that history might not repeat itself but it has a rhythm and if you look back at the last century, before both world wars, I think it was unarguable that there was escalation which led to the miscalculation which ultimately led to war at a scale we would hopefully never see again,” the general said.

When pressed if he was predicting there could be another major world conflict, Carter said “I’m saying it’s a risk and we need to be conscious of those risks.”

*gulp*