ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US policy on Iran does not include regime change in Tehran, US national security adviser John Bolton told reporters in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Bolton arrived in Israel on Sunday for three days of high level talks, which mostly centered on Iran’s presence in Syria.
The US has reimposed a raft of economic sanctions on Iran since withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal in May. Washington is also using its diplomatic leverage to isolate the Islamic republic.
Reports indicate the Trump administration is even in talks with the exiled Iranian opposition.
However, Bolton insisted the US is not pursuing a policy of regime change in Iran.
“Regime change in Iran is not American policy but what we want is massive change in the regime’s behaviour,” he said.
The Trump administration wants further guarantees Iran will not try to build a nuclear weapon and insists the Iranian government must stop interfering in regional conflicts.
Tehran has intervened in the Syrian civil war on the side of Bashar al-Assad against ISIS and opposition groups. Israel says Iran has brought heavy weapons into Syria, posing a direct threat to its territory.
In response, Israel has launched a number of air and missile strikes on suspected Iranian positions inside Syria.
“Every time that Iran has brought missiles or other threatening weapons into Syria in recent months Israel has struck those targets,” Bolton said.
“I think that’s a legitimate act of self-defence on the part of Israel,” he added.
Iran insists its personnel in Syria are merely there as military advisors and denies sending heavy weaponry.
Bolton arrived in Israel on Sunday for three days of high level talks, which mostly centered on Iran’s presence in Syria.
The US has reimposed a raft of economic sanctions on Iran since withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal in May. Washington is also using its diplomatic leverage to isolate the Islamic republic.
Reports indicate the Trump administration is even in talks with the exiled Iranian opposition.
However, Bolton insisted the US is not pursuing a policy of regime change in Iran.
“Regime change in Iran is not American policy but what we want is massive change in the regime’s behaviour,” he said.
The Trump administration wants further guarantees Iran will not try to build a nuclear weapon and insists the Iranian government must stop interfering in regional conflicts.
Tehran has intervened in the Syrian civil war on the side of Bashar al-Assad against ISIS and opposition groups. Israel says Iran has brought heavy weapons into Syria, posing a direct threat to its territory.
In response, Israel has launched a number of air and missile strikes on suspected Iranian positions inside Syria.
“Every time that Iran has brought missiles or other threatening weapons into Syria in recent months Israel has struck those targets,” Bolton said.
“I think that’s a legitimate act of self-defence on the part of Israel,” he added.
Iran insists its personnel in Syria are merely there as military advisors and denies sending heavy weaponry.
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