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Ambassador John Bolton, former U.N. Ambassador to the U.S., on the future of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
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Now let's go to the Middle East Iran state media reports that the nation successfully test fired long range missiles in an attempt to intimidate the west.
I'm just yesterday Iran's parliament threatened to blockade the straits of Hormuz.
The Saber rattling continues John Bolton is the former US ambassador to the United Nations and he joins us now from Washington.
Is -- anything to of this more than just Saber rattling to make a headline or two is it.
Possible that Iran could really close the straits of Hormuz and threatened I was really.
Well.
It is Saber rattling and it could well be they're saying whether on the very day in Istanbul when they are negotiating yet again with the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany.
They can get the price of oil up a little bit there's one further thing to the launch of those missiles -- -- three's according to media reports are they.
That missiles on which Iran is most likely to try to made a nuclear warhead but once it gets a nuclear warhead in a very short period of time so.
You have to treat these as serious test of Iran's.
Hope for capability to have a deliverable nuclear weapon.
-- made -- sub headline to you from the Wall Street Journal's editorial page today it reads all twenty of their brands major trading partners have sanction.
Exemptions.
-- we we seem to be very easily intimidated doing office.
Well I think that the Obama administration made it clear when congress was considering these sanctions it didn't want the legislation.
Didn't want to pressure Iran through the oil weapon.
It didn't want to have to face the very.
Difficult question which of Iran's trading partners would it impose sanctions on.
So it took the the easiest way out it didn't impose sanctions.
Want any of them now this is not to say Iran's not feeling a little economic squeeze.
But nothing near enough to have any impact what ever on the nuclear weapons program would you agree with the following statement under no circumstances would President Obama attack Iran before the election -- allow Israel to attack Iran before the election.
Well I think the first part of that the United States is certainly true in fact I can't conceive of any circumstances.
Even under President Obama being reelected where he will use military force against Iran I just don't think.
He sees that -- the answer I think he's wrong but I think worst of all Iran doesn't think he'll use military force either that's why they don't.
Take threats or sanctions or negotiations seriously.
I think Israel is a very different question and that's one reason why ironically it's in both Obama's interest and Iran's interest.
-- keep these this pretense of negotiation going because it's one more piece of leverage for Obama used against Israel to say.
Don't attack Iran's nuclear weapons program we still have hope.
Through the negotiations I think that's delusional but I think that's what they believe.
In your experience and you've been on the inside of all of this -- thing.
Do you do you have any idea of when.
Iran might be capable of producing a real nuclear -- I -- -- months away is years away have you any idea.
Well I think it's a matter of months based on the amount of low enriched uranium they have which they could enrich to weapons grade and a couple of months.
And weaponized very shortly after that's not to say they could put it on a missile.
But they could put it in the hold of the steamer sale and in the New York Harbor and detonated right there with almost the same -- But I think the key thing is that Iran isn't racing to do that they are so confident.
That they can withstand sanctions that they don't fear the United States or Israel that they're building a broad and deep nuclear program.
Which will be a threat for decades to come once they cross that weapon is -- nation threshold and you think they will.
Yes I think that's their clear intention there's nothing else that explains their behavior over the last forty.
-- is they've steadily built up the the nuclear program.
That everything that they've done indicates they want nuclear weapons -- think it's a strategic imperative for Iran and -- getting very close to that objective ambassador John Bolton as always thanks for joining us -- Happy fourth -- thank you very much of the it.
