The High Court has rejected a bid by a former chief of staff of the Iraqi army to bring a private prosecution against Tony Blair over the Iraq War.

General Abdul Wahed Shannan Al Rabbat has accused the former prime minister of committing a "crime of aggression" by invading Iraq in 2003 to overthrow President Saddam Hussein.

The general wanted to prosecute Mr Blair and two other key ministers at the time - foreign secretary Jack Straw and attorney general Lord Goldsmith.

His lawyers had asked for permission to seek judicial review in an attempt to get the Supreme Court to overturn a House of Lords ruling.

In 2006, the Lords ruled that there is no such crime as the crime of aggression under the law of England and Wales.

But Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the Lord Chief Justice, and Mr Justice Ouseley dismissed the general's application, saying there was "no prospect" of the case succeeding.

The Iraq War claimed the lives of 179 British soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

In 2016, the seven-year long Chilcot inquiry concluded that Saddam Hussein was not an imminent threat and military action was not the "last resort".

It also accused Mr Blair of making the decision to go to war on "flawed intelligence" presented as fact to Parliament and the British public.

He was also said to have "overestimated his ability to influence US decisions on Iraq".

Mr Blair said he took full responsibility for the war as he expressed "more sorrow, regret and apology than you may ever know".