Israel has ‘existential’ decision to make on Iran: John Bolton

(NewsNation) — As tensions rise between Israel and Iran over the future of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton believes Israel will eventually have to make an “existential” decision about what to do next.

“I think one question for the Gulf Arab states and for the United States — and others as well is — ‘Would you rather face Iran before it gets nuclear weapons, or after it gets nuclear weapons?’ How close is it now? I think it's very close, and I think Israel really has to make an existential decision in the next, I would say, 60 days,” Bolton told NewsNation.

Iran said it has built and will activate a third nuclear enrichment facility, ratcheting up tensions with the U.N. on Thursday immediately after the U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

U.S. President Donald Trump had previously warned that Israel or America could launch airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiators failed to reach a deal on Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. A sixth round of Iran-U.S. talks is scheduled to begin Sunday in Oman, and as tensions simmer, some American government staffers deemed nonessential have begun leaving the Gulf region.

Trump said Thursday he is still urging Iran to negotiate a deal but that he is concerned a “massive conflict” could occur in the Middle East if it does not.

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump said in response to a question from a reporter about a potential Israeli attack. "Look, it’s very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

As far as U.S.-Iran negotiations go, Bolton said he doesn’t anticipate much movement.

“We will know a little bit more after Sunday,” he said. “But I don't think those negotiations are going anywhere. So we will be close to a point where Israel has to make a decision. I don't know what it will be exactly, but the decision basically will be, do they try to take out the Iran nuclear weapons program, or do they acquiesce in Iran becoming a nuclear weapons state?”

President Donald Trump's administration told the Israeli government the U.S. will not be directly involved in any potential Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two U.S. sources and an Israeli source familiar with those discussions.