Fmr. Trump Nat Sec Adviser Bolton: Israel Can Neutralize Iran's Nuclear Program

John Bolton, former UN Ambassador in the first Trump administration, reacts to ongoing strikes by Israel on Iran's nuclear facilities and what it means for the wider region.

Iran fired hundreds of missiles in retaliation for Israel’s airstrikes that targeted Tehran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, broadening a conflict that threatens to engulf the region and roil global markets.

Israel said it identified missiles launched from the Islamic Republic and reported explosions from interceptions and falling debris from incoming projectiles. An Israeli official said US forces are helping to intercept the Iranian missiles.

The Iranian attack, which Tehran said entailed hundreds of ballistic missiles, is the most forceful step yet by Tehran since Israel’s overnight raids killed top Iranian generals and badly damaged key military infrastructure.

While it’s unclear if Israel’s air defenses have been pierced, markets took another hit from the surge in tensions. US stocks fell to new session lows, oil prices extended their gains above 7%, while the US dollar and gold rose.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to “act forcefully” in a pre-recorded video message carried by state TV. The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and the military’s chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, were both killed in Israeli strikes, according to Iranian media. At least two other senior IRGC members also died.

Israel “should not think that it is over. We won’t allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime they have committed,” Khamenei said.

Khamenei’s statement was released after Iran started its retaliation strike on Israel.

While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday’s attacks have derailed diplomacy, officials in the region are still pushing for a deescalation.

In a phone call with Araghchi, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for “the highest degrees of self-restraint” to prevent the circle of the conflict from widening. And Oman said its foreign minister is in contact with relevant countries to contain the “tensions and the dangerous military escalation in the region caused by Israel’s direct attacks on Iran,” according to the state-run news agency.

Meanwhile, with the Group of Seven leaders gathering in the Canadian Rockies, the attention will focus on US President Donald Trump’s reaction. Going into the summit, there was a common desire to keep fraught geopolitical issues off the table, but that will be difficult given the knock-on effects of a spike in oil prices on inflation and energy exports.

The region is a big crossroads for shipping of oil and consumer goods, and any all-out war will further strain a global trading system disrupted by the trade tensions.

Trump gave brief phone interviews to a smattering of journalists, particularly those from cable news networks, but otherwise didn’t take to the cameras to make public remarks. He warned Iran on social media to make a deal “before it is too late.”

On Saturday, Trump’s 79th birthday, he’s scheduled to host a military parade ostensibly to celebrate the US Army’s 250th year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone Friday to discuss the conflict, according to a White House official.

The US has said it didn’t play a role in Israel’s initial strikes, and warned Iran against retaliation on American service members. Washington’s role assisting Israel’s aerial defense is customary, but what it does next will be critical.

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