Bolton: U.S. should pursue “regime change” in Iran

London, Nov. 03 – Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says he believes further negotiations will not convince Tehran to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program, and ultimately Washington should be considering to pursue a policy of “regime change” in Iran.

“ I think diplomatic approaches are not going to stop Iran from continuing to perfect its nuclear-weapons programs”, Bolton told The New York Times Magazine in an interview to be published on Sunday. “ Our options are very limited and not all that attractive, one being regime change in Tehran, the other being the use of force”.

Asked why he believed Tehran should not have nuclear weapons, Bolton pointed to the theocratic nature of the regime.

“When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence. Retaliation for them, which would obliterate their society, doesn’t have the same negative connotations for their leadership”, he said.