US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that Iran was feeling the effect of sanctions, saying its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons “are not signs of a nation seeking peace.”
Speaking from Jerusalem alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he added that Tehran should not "mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness.”
Washington had abruptly called off military strikes against the Iran in response to the shooting down of an unmanned American surveillance drone.
President Donald Trump's last-minute about face appears to have raised questions about US willingness to use force against Iran.
The downing of the aircraft on Thursday marked a new high in the rising tensions between the United States and Iran in the Gulf. The Trump administration has vowed to combine a "maximum pressure" campaign of economic sanctions with a buildup of American forces in the region, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
"Sanctions are biting, and more added last night," Bolton said.
"Iran can never have nuclear weapons - not against the USA and not against the world."
Trump said he backed away from the planned strikes after learning 150 people would be killed. But Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk, emphasized that the US reserved the right to attack at a later point.
"No one has granted them a hunting license in the Middle East. As President Trump said on Friday our military is rebuilt, new and ready to go," Bolton stressed.
Netanyahu said Iranian involvement in conflicts across the region had increased as a result of the nuclear deal, which gave the country a new cash infusion, and had nothing to do with the US exit from the agreement.
"After the deal, but before recent events, Iran has been on a campaign of aggression," he said. "Those who describe the recent actions as somehow opening a hornet's nest are living on another planet."
Netanyahu made no mention of the called-off airstrike and said he was "pleased" by US plans for increased economic pressure.
Bolton is visiting Israel for three-way talks with his Israeli and Russian counterparts that are expected to focus on Iranian involvement in conflicts across the region, including in neighboring Syria.
