Iran’s nuclear weapons program is the greatest threat facing Israel, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton told Newsmax on Wednesday. Bolton said on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," that striking Iran’s nuclear facilities is "exactly the right thing to do."
He said, "If you say at this point, what is the biggest threat to Israel in the whole region? The answer is not Hamas, it's not Hezbollah, it's the Iranian nuclear weapons program. [Former Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon used to talk about the threat of a nuclear holocaust from Iran. Israel is a small country. Six, eight, ten nuclear weapons. There isn't any Israel anymore.
"And now, after October 1st and the April attacks, Iran has fired 400 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones at Israel. And the next time a ballistic missile comes toward Israel from Iran, who will know whether there's a nuclear warhead under the nosecone? This is the moment to strike," he said.
As for the risk Israel would incur if it were to strike, Bolton said, "I think the risk is the same as any Israel response to the October 1st attack. That Iran could go after the Gulf Arab states. They could have Hezbollah unleash thousands of their missiles that the Israelis still haven't destroyed. Iran itself could come back with several of the thousands missiles that it has. Sure. That's a possibility."
"But the question is, are you prepared to risk the existential threat of an Iran nuclear capability when this gives you the opportunity to strike at it? Now, before the threat has fully matured?"
He added, "If you're worried about the risk, then Israel just should have sat there and not taken on Hezbollah, not taken on Hamas."
And Iran isn’t just a threat to Israel, Bolton said. "It's a huge threat to the United States, too."
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Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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