John Boltonformer national security advisor in donald trumpIran’s administration, which has since become one of the former president’s most outspoken critics, on Sunday questioned its former boss’s assessment that Iran would not have launched its attack on Israel if he were still in the White House.
In the early hours of Sunday, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against Israel, which the country said it managed to intercept with the help of its allies, including the US and the UK. The Revolutionary Guard earlier this month for an airstrike that targeted the country’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, was blamed on Israel.
The incident has revived fears about a wider conflict erupting in the region as Israel continues its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee in November’s election, during a campaign rally over the weekend suggested that Tehran’s attack on Israel came as a direct result of what he described as the “weakness” of the United States, claiming that “it wouldn’t have happened if we were in office.”
But Bolton said the former president has no idea how to respond to international crises involving U.S. adversaries.
“I think Trump is delusional at this point,” Bolton told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It is a point that no one can refute or confirm one way or another. He has no idea what to do in the Middle East in this situation. Remember when he threatened fire and fury against North Korea? Within a year he fell in love with Kim Jong Un. Therefore, he is not qualified to be president.”
However, Bolton disagreed with the way Joe Biden’s administration handled ongoing tensions. Washington has reportedly called on Israel to exercise restraint while it assesses a potential response, noting that the US will not be drawn into offensive actions against Iran.
“If Joe Biden, as some press reports say, is urging the Israelis not to retaliate in any way, that is an embarrassment to the United States,” Bolton said. “It is in the American interest to ensure that Iran, which is the main threat to international peace and security in the region, is, at the very least, put in its place to spare Israel, to spare the Gulf Arabs, to spare us from the threat. what they represent.”
Asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper why he opposes a diplomatic solution to the current crisis between Israel and Iran, Bolton argued that Tehran’s attack alone demonstrates that deterrence has failed.
“If Iran doesn’t feel the pain, I think the situation will only get worse for Israel,” Bolton added.
Meanwhile, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz on Sunday he said your country will charge a price to Iran at the time it chooses.
“This event is not over,” Gantz said. “The strategic alliance and regional cooperation system that we have built and withstood its significant test needs to be strengthened right now.”
