- John Bolton has told NDTV that overthrowing Iran's Khamenei regime is a legitimate and timely goal
- Bolton has said that he believes US President Donald Trump is serious about red lines on Iran's actions
- Iran’s economic crisis and other related issues have made this uprising unique, he has said
Overthrowing the ruling regime in Iran is a legitimate objective and the time to do it is now, John Bolton, former National Security Advisor of the United States, told NDTV today in an exclusive interview. "I do think this regime is very weak and I don't think we should let this moment go," he said.
Asked if US President Donald Trump is bluffing about action, he answered in the affirmative. "Otherwise, he (Trump) has put down a red line and if the regime crossed it, which they have, and he doesn't do something, then his own credibility is at stake," he added.
The protests raging in Iran for days, its brutal repression and the statements emanating from Washington indicate Iran as the next conflagration after Ukraine versus Russia and the situation in Gaza.
Asked if this would be a protracted battle, Bolton said while there have been uprisings in the past, this time it appears different because of Iran's desperate economic situation and the increasing involvement of young people and women.
"I think the economic circumstances in Iran are far worse than they've been before," he said. Because of the irrigation policies, there is near-drought across the country. "They have been talking about moving the capital from Tehran because there's no water in the city's reservoirs," he said.
"I think the regime knows it's in trouble. I think that's one explanation for the level of brutality we are seeing now," he added.
Asked about what US attacks on military or nuclear facilities can achieve for the protesters on the ground, Bolton said Iran today is "as much a military dictatorship as it is a theocracy".
So striking the Revolutionary Guard is really a "direct attack on the people who are ordering the campaign of repression that we're seeing now," he added.
The 12-day war, he said, made the people realise that the regime was unable to protect its most vital assets -- the nuclear programme.
"It gave them the feeling that the regime's days were numbered. And I think we want to underline that. We have to show both to the regime and to the opposition that the outside world has stakes in the outcome of this conflict," he said.
While the fallout of a clash at this point could make Israel vulnerable, it would be a mistake for Iran to target the Arab countries, he said.
If Iran is considering anything, "it would be against our bases," he said. "And I think there is certainly a risk of Iran expanding its assassination campaign against people in the Iranian diaspora or against current and former US officials that they've targeted before," he added.
About the future, he refused to be drawn out on who can replace the Ayatollah Khamenei regime. "I think we should all keep our focus on overthrowing the regime itself. There will be plenty of time for political squabbles over who's going to lead the country after it," he added.
