Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton slammed Donald Trump over a “badly” misjudged conflict with Iran, saying the US President might have believed he could replicate a quick regime change similar to what Washington did in Venezuela, which he said was fundamentally flawed.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, John Bolton said, “He may have believed that he could do a Venezuela. But if he did, he was wrong when he believed it. He’s clearly wrong today.”
TRUMP ACTS ON IMPULSE, SAYS BOLTON
John Bolton, who served as Trump’s National Security Adviser during the President’s first term, alleged that he often makes big decisions without the careful planning typically required for military campaigns.
“Well, I doubt he’s prepared for it because he’s rarely prepared for much of anything,” John Bolton said. “He doesn’t follow strategic thinking. He does things on impulse neuron flashes.”
The war with Iran is nearing the two-week mark, with missiles and drones flying across the Gulf region. The conflict is also beginning to affect everyday life far beyond the battlefield, as tensions choked the oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz.
John Bolton said these risks should not have come as a surprise to the White House. “I can tell you though, in his first term, he was told very clearly what would be needed to support regime change,” John Bolton said. “One of them that is obvious to everybody is that there would be threats to the Strait of Hormuz and oil traffic through the Persian Gulf.”
JOHN BOLTON PRAISES US MILITARY CAMPAIGN
Despite his criticism of Trump’s modus operandi, John Bolton also praised aspects of the military campaign so far. “I think the military performance has been outstanding,” he said, flagging that major parts of Iran’s military capability have already been weakened.
“I do believe their communication, command and control have been effectively eliminated. Many of their key assets have been eliminated,” he said, adding that Iran’s air force and navy have been substantially eliminated, though threats to shipping in the Gulf remain.
NOT NETANYAHU, BUT TRUMP MADE THE DECISION
John Bolton also rejected claims that Israel’s leadership had pushed the United States into the war. “I don’t think that Netanyahu leads Trump around by the nose,” he said. “I think this is something Trump decided he wanted to do.”
Still, he warned that the Trump administration must quickly clarify its objectives.
“He needs to show at some point that he does have an objective in mind,” John Bolton said. “He’s got to say it clearly.”
The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes across Iran targeting military, nuclear and leadership sites. The attacks killed Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, triggering a wider regional war. Iran responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, US bases and Gulf countries hosting American forces, pushing the Middle East into one of its most dangerous confrontations in years.
