Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has criticised recent American military strikes in Iran as poorly planned and lacking coordination, raising questions about the strategy of President Donald Trump.
In an interview with the BBC’s Newsnight programme, Bolton described the operations as “haphazard” and said they were not carefully thought out.
He argued that a more structured approach was needed, adding that key stakeholders were not adequately prepared for the action.
“The American people were not well prepared, Congress was not prepared, and allies were also not ready,” he said.
Bolton, a long-time advocate of regime change in Tehran, also warned that Iran has become increasingly aware of the leverage it holds over global energy supplies, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz.
He noted that any move to block the vital shipping route, which carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, could have severe global repercussions.
“If the current regime remains in power, it now clearly understands the impact of shutting the Strait,” he said, adding that such control would give Tehran significant influence over oil exports from the Gulf.
Since leaving the White House in 2019, Bolton has remained a vocal critic of Trump, previously describing him in his memoir as “stunningly uninformed” and unfit for office.
With inputs from BBC