Former National Security Advisor John Bolton called for stronger U.S. support for Iranian opposition groups, arguing that Washington should not underestimate the influence of Iran’s military leadership ahead of the November elections.
Bolton Calls For Support Of Iran Opposition
On Sunday, Bolton urged the U.S. to increase its support for opposition groups inside Iran if it does not intend to take stronger action against Tehran in the coming months.
In a post on X, he said, “If the U.S. isn’t going to act robustly against the regime in Iran before the November elections, we should be putting time and energy into the Opposition on the ground until then.”
Bolton Warns IRGC Still Controls Iran
In a separate post earlier Sunday, Bolton cautioned against viewing Iran’s government as significantly weakened despite recent developments.
“It’s a dangerous illusion to think that the government of Iran is just wounded, but continuing as it was before,” he said.
Bolton added that while “the MOU was negotiated by civilians,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “is still running the show militarily.”
US-Iran Strikes Rattle Markets
Global markets turned cautious after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran following an attack on a commercial ship near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran retaliated with strikes on U.S. bases, while Tehran said the key waterway was closed, a claim rejected by U.S. Central Command, which said it remained open to lawful traffic.
Trump Warns Iran As Nuclear Talks
The Trump administration said diplomacy with Iran remained possible but warned of a forceful response to further aggression.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said Trump was committed to peace but would respond with "overwhelming force" if Iran threatened shipping or acted aggressively.
On Saturday, Iran reportedly refused to restart talks unless Washington changed its position, adding pressure on energy markets and regional security.
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