Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton sharply criticized the Biden administration on Sunday for advising Israel against attacking Iranian nuclear sites or oil facilities.
During an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill,” host Chris Stirewalt questioned Bolton regarding President Joe Biden’s statements made just two days prior.
Biden had remarked that, if he were in Israel’s position, he would consider “alternatives” to bombing Iran’s oil fields—a move that would heavily impact Iran’s economy.
“If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oilfields,” Biden commented.
These remarks came just 48 hours after Biden expressed his opposition to any potential Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“The answer is no,” Biden responded when asked if he supported Israel launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Bolton, reacting to the president’s comments, was blunt in his response. “My first reaction was, it was just incompetence, or maybe it was mental capacity, or lack thereof,” Bolton said on Sunday.
He also speculated that Biden’s motivations might be tied to domestic politics, suggesting the president is aiming to avoid escalating tensions as the November elections approach.
“But I think it’s pretty clear — because of a number of things he said, including one day last week saying, well, the Israeli attack won’t occur tonight — I think he’s trying to pressure Israel. I think he’s trying to put him in a box. I think all he cares about is avoiding this becoming a bigger issue than it already is before Nov. 5,” Bolton explained, highlighting that concerns over oil prices could be driving Biden’s stance.
Bolton doubted Israel would yield to U.S. pressure, emphasizing the complexity of Israel’s regional security concerns.
“They can’t really calibrate what they’re going to do to suit Joe Biden’s electoral concerns. They’ll make up their minds in Jerusalem when they think they’re ready and they reach an agreement inside the Cabinet,” Bolton said.
He also took issue with Biden’s public commentary on what Israel should do, particularly regarding an adversary like Iran.
“I just think it’s wrong for an American president to speak publicly about what an American ally might do to an American enemy,” Bolton asserted. “We sure wouldn’t appreciate it if our quote, unquote allies were doing that to us.”
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue, siding with Bolton in his criticism of Biden’s approach and suggesting that Israel should target Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Speaking at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump said, “I listened to Biden yesterday… they asked him, what do you think about Iran, would you hit Iran and he goes ‘as long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you want to hit, right?”
“I think he’s got that one wrong, isn’t that the one you’re supposed to hit,” Trump continued. “It’s the biggest risk we have, nuclear weapons.”
{Matzav.com}