Former Trump Advisor Warns Against Risky Iran Regime Change

Former Trump national security advisor John Bolton cautioned against the risks of attempting to overthrow Iran's regime in a recent interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep. Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk who advocated for aggressive policies towards the Islamic Republic, acknowledged that regime change comes with significant dangers and unintended consequences.

During his time in the Trump administration, Bolton was a vocal proponent of a hardline approach to Iran, including the possibility of military strikes and covert action to topple the country's leadership. However, in the NPR interview, he struck a more measured tone, noting that history has shown regime change efforts in the Middle East can easily spiral out of control.

"Regime change is an idea that sounds good in theory, but the execution is devilishly difficult," Bolton told Inskeep. "You have to be prepared for the aftermath, and that's where I think a lot of the problems have occurred."

The former national security advisor pointed to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 as a cautionary tale, noting that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government created a power vacuum that enabled the rise of ISIS and other extremist groups. He warned that a similar scenario could play out if the Iranian regime was toppled without a clear plan for a stable transition of power.

"When you talk about regime change, you have to be prepared to put something in its place," Bolton said. "And if you don't have that in mind, you can create more problems than you solve."

The interview comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with the Biden administration attempting to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that the Trump administration withdrew from. Bolton's comments suggest a growing acknowledgment among some foreign policy veterans that aggressive regime change strategies may do more harm than good, especially in the volatile Middle East region.

However, Bolton maintained that the US should continue to put pressure on the Iranian regime through economic sanctions and other means, arguing that a change in leadership is ultimately necessary to address the country's destabilizing regional activities and support for terrorist groups. But he cautioned that any attempts at regime change must be carefully planned and executed to avoid a repeat of the chaos seen in Iraq and elsewhere.