John Bolton, who served as national security adviser in President Donald Trump’s first term, told Newsmax on Friday that he applauds the decision for the U.S. to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites andadded that Tehran is ripe for regime change.
“He had said frequently he didn’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and fervent Trump critic, told “Finnerty.”
“He had also said he didn’t want to get involved in more foreign escapades, and I think he was very conflicted.
“He ultimately decided to do the right thing. I don’t doubt it, but I also think he wanted to get back at the head of the parade with [Israeli Prime Minister] Bibi Netanyahu. So, he got some of the credit.”
Bolton said he stands by comments he made earlier this week on CNN that Trump bombed Iran in part because he hopes to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
“You know, in the [CNN video] you played earlier, I said the president made the right decision,” Bolton said. “I’m just telling you why I think he made it based on 17 months of seeing him almost every day, multiple times a day. I think I know him pretty well, and I’m happy to stand by that point.”
Bolton said regime change in Iran “is the only way we can guarantee that the that the regime in Iran won’t try to recreate the nuclear weapons program.”
“They’ve already issued statements from the supreme leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei],” he said. “At least they’ve attributed the statements to him that are very defiant of what the U.S. And Israel did. And I think it’s part of their ideology, part of their aspiration for hegemony in the region and within Islam.”
Bolton said Iran’s government is more vulnerable now that at any time since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Even though he advocates regime change, he said it doesn’t mean the U.S. must have boots on the ground in Iran to make it happen.
“This would be principally by the people involved, and there wouldn’t be any need for boots on the ground,” he said. “The words ‘regime change’ in and of themselves don’t say anything about the mechanism. So, those who say regime change must mean American boots on the ground are reading meaning into the words that the words won’t bear.
“Regime change can occur in a lot of different ways. And in the case of Iran, I think the regime itself is weaker than it’s been at any point since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. I think the U.S. could help the opposition. I think we could provide resources, communications equipment inside Iran.
“The opposition is very widespread, but it’s not well oordinated. And they face a very determined group of fanatics that are running the government. So, I think they could use some help. We can ask them what they think would be most [helpful].”
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