John Bolton, former US national security advisor, said US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June showed Tehran was “powerless” to stop its critical assets from being destroyed.
“People as a whole saw that the regime was powerless to stop the US and Israel from destroying its critical asset,” he told an audience at Harvard Kennedy School on Monday. “That has contributed to the feeling that the regime’s days are numbered.”
Bolton, who has long advocated military action against Iran, added that there were “very real” threats against his life from Iranian officials.
He said Trump revoked his Secret Service protection just hours after inauguration, despite those threats.
“Trump was asked if something happens to Bolton and these other people, do you feel you’re responsible? And he said no,” he recalled.
Bolton has previously written that he advised Trump to launch a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities during his tenure.