If history doesn’t repeat, but rather rhymes, as Mark Twain said... then we recognize some doggerel this morning in the latest news from the Persian Gulf.

“Iran has been systematically plundering large amounts of oil from southern Iraq for years,” according to a UPI story that cites a report from Stratfor, the U.S.-based private intelligence outfit.

Through a “complex oil smuggling network,” the Islamic Republic is able to pull in $20 million per day in oil revenue that short-circuits Western sanctions, the report claims.

If there’s something about this that sounds familiar, recall one of Saddam Hussein’s justifications for Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 was Kuwait was stealing Iraq’s oil. The Kuwaitis, he said, resorted to “slant drilling,” whereby its wells entered the earth on Kuwaiti territory, but crossed the border underground.

“There’s an element of Iraqi propaganda here,” observes our Byron King — who takes note of every development that hinges on his New War scenario — “but I don’t doubt that Iran is somehow sucking Iraqi oil into is pipeline system.”

“I just saw another report,” says Vancouver favorite Doug Casey, “proclaiming that Iran is likely to attack the U.S., which is about as absurd as the allegations Bush made about Iraq bombing the U.S., when he fomented that invasion.”

Hmmm... Another rhyme.

“It’s starting to look rather serious at this point,” Mr. Casey continues, “so I do think the odds favor actual fighting in the not-too-distant future. We’re dealing with criminal personalities on both sides, and criminals are basically very stupid — meaning they have an unwitting tendency to self-destruction.”

Doug’s investment guidance for this scenario is similar to his guidance for other man-made disasters: gold and silver to safeguard your wealth, gold stocks if you’re feeling speculative. “And diversify your holdings internationally. You can never tell when the government of your home country will have a psychotic break.”

Aside from spelling out a war scenario, Byron King’s New War report also presents an investment strategy to help you protect and grow your portfolio during the tumult — starting with three market moves you can make right away. Here’s where to get started.