John Bolton on Iran: ‘We Made a Big Mistake at the End of the Six Weeks of Attacks by Stopping’

EXCERPT:

BOLTON: "I mean, he obviously didn’t understand fully when he started what his objectives were. He didn’t prepare for the possibility of an extended conflict. And he hasn’t known how to measure what progress he’s making toward his objectives. Look, I come from the perspective of having believed for over 20 years that there will not be peace and stability in the Middle East until the regime in Tehran is removed. I thought, I hoped at the beginning of this conflict, that’s maybe what Trump wanted. I don’t know what he wanted. I don’t think it’s clear. He doesn’t think strategically. He has a short attention span. And we are where we are now in large measure because of that. I don’t know what providence is going to do to help Trump out of the mess he’s made. But I think in the near term, the more pressure we put on Iran, the harder it’s going to be for the Revolutionary Guard to carry out the kind of threats they’re making. I think we made a big mistake at the end of the six weeks of attacks by stopping, and I think we’re paying for that in substantial measure right now."