In an interview with the New York Times, John Bolton, former US ambassador to the UN, said: I think diplomatic approaches are not going to stop Iran from continuing to perfect its nuclear-weapons programs. Our options are very limited and not all that attractive, one being regime change in Tehran, the other being the use of force.

In answer to the question of why he thinks Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons, Bolton said: When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence. Retaliation for them, which would obliterate their society, doesn’t have the same negative connotations for their leadership.