Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said a military strike against Iran’s nuclear development program is ”warranted.”
Bolton said in an interview on NewsNation that there is a strong likelihood that Iran is not far off from building a nuclear weapon. “I think there's little doubt that, particularly given their relationship with North Korea, that the Iranians are very close to having a nuclear device.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency indicated in a report this week that Iran was less than two weeks out from enriching uranium to weapon-grade level, but constructing a weapon would take several additional months.
Bolton, a strong critic of the Trump administration, said there’s little need for the U.S. to continue talks with Iran about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “I think we're really at a very important point here, whether Trump is going to try and continue these negotiations, which I think are going to be completely fruitless, or whether Israel is going to do what it has to do to protect its very existence."
He said a pre-emptive military strike against Iran is the only serious action available. “I think a preventive attack (by Israel) is entirely warranted. The U.S. should support it. In fact, if asked, we should help them.” And he said the problem is one facing the world. “It's unfair to say that the Iran nuclear program is only Israel's problem. Let's face it, it's our problem, too.”
Should Iran reach the point of building a nuclear weapon, said Bolton, no one has to guess how it would be used. He pointed to Iran already launching ballistic missiles against Israel. “Israel's a small country, six, eight nuclear weapons, there is no more Israel.”
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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