Former national security adviser John Bolton said today that he supports President Donald Trump’s goal of bringing about regime change in Iran, while cautioning that success will require sustained effort beyond the battlefield.

Speaking on Newsmax’s “Saturday Agenda,” Bolton said he has long advocated for replacing Iran’s leadership and believes the current U.S. military campaign is a step toward achieving that objective.

“I think it’s a worthwhile objective,” Bolton said. “I think the military side of it seems to be going very well. Other parts of it are not.

“I think he needs to have patience and persistence if he wants regime change, because this is a moment to get it. The regime has never been more unpopular inside Iran than since it took power in 1979.”

Bolton pointed to a January message from Trump encouraging anti-government demonstrators in Iran, arguing that it signaled regime change had been an underlying aim of the operation from the outset.

Looking ahead, Bolton said the immediate focus should be securing the Strait of Hormuz to allow safe passage for international shipping while cutting off Iran’s ability to export oil.

“My impression now is our military is increasingly confident that they can make it safe for tankers to go through,” he said. “And in the meantime, I would make sure Iranian tankers or tankers carrying Iranian oil are not exiting the Strait of Hormuz.

“It’s not a gift to the United States for our enemy to be selling oil and having the purchase price of that oil going into the coffers of the ayatollahs in Tehran to use against us.”

He said he was surprised that U.S. forces had not prioritized the waterway earlier, though he now believes the military is moving toward establishing control over it.

Bolton added that targeting Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal is not essential at this stage, though he acknowledged there could be other strategic reasons for doing so.

“I don’t think we need to hit Kharg Island. There may be other reasons for that. I think we blockade the strait, make sure no Iranian oil goes in or out,” he said.

Over the longer term, Bolton emphasized the importance of supporting internal opposition within Iran, describing it as widespread but lacking organization. He said external assistance could play a critical role.

“If we’re not going to put boots on the ground in any substantial number, it’s going to be up to the people of Iran working with defectors from the regime, hopefully from the regular army, to pull the regime apart,” Bolton said.