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.”
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.https://t.co/IL1H1cvtda
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) July 12, 2026
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.”
It’s a dangerous illusion to think that the government of Iran is just wounded, but continuing as it was before. The MOU was negotiated by civilians, but the IRGC is still running the show militarily.https://t.co/1EIaFcniTv
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) July 12, 2026
Read Also: IRGC Strikes Two Vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Raising Doubts Over Trump's Iran Peace Deal: Report
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.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ paparazzza
