TEHRAN — The Trump administration’s maximum pressure policy against Iran is failing, says former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, the architect of Washington’s so-called “maximum pressure” policy.

“It’s failing because I don’t think it lives up to its bumper-sticker slogan of maximum pressure,” Bolton said on Monday. 

He made the remarks in his first public appearance since the U.S. Senate impeachment trial in which Republicans refused to hear his testimony.

“I don’t think we’re applying maximum pressure on Iran. I think there are countless ways during my tenure that we could have applied more pressure and we should have.”

Bolton was notoriously famous for his ultra-hawkish stance toward Iran. He was pushing for regime change in Iran.

Before Bolton’s dismissal by President Donald Trump, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif had branded Bolton as part of a “B-team” who were encouraging Trump to start a war against Iran.

The other members of the B-team were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed.

Reacting to Bolton’s ouster back in September 2019, Zarif tweeted, “Thirst for war—maximum pressure—should go with the warmonger-in-chief.”

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Zarif said Trump suffered bad advice from his hawkish former national security advisor Bolton.

“Now today with John Bolton gone unfortunately somebody else is trying to mimic John Bolton and promise the president that killing Soleimani will bring people to dance in the streets of Tehran and Baghdad,” Zarif said, pointing to the U.S. assassination of Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in the first days of 2020.

MH/PA