Arya News Agency -WASHINGTON – Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton has acknowledged that Washington would own up to its recent deadly airstrike on a wedding ceremony in the coastal district of Kuhstak, near Sirik County in Iran’s Hormozgan Province, while sharply dismissing suggestions that the attack was deliberate—marking a rare semi-admission from a senior American official regarding civilian casualties in the region.
In an interview with MSNBC, Bolton—who served as national security adviser during Donald Trump’s first administration—stated: “I think when we realize we’ve made a mistake, the United States does acknowledge it. Of course, this is not something we seek to do.” He went on to describe the killing of civilians as “regrettable,” adding that the notion of intentional U.S. targeting in this instance was, in his view, a "false accusation."
Bolton’s remarks come in the wake of a detailed investigation by The Telegraph, which recently shed new light on the incident, citing data and forensic analysis indicating that the strike was carried out using a precision-guided 500-kilogram bomb—suggesting a high degree of targeting capability, which has fueled further controversy over the circumstances surrounding the attack.
In a separate segment of the interview, Bolton also leveled criticism at U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, questioning his qualifications for the role. “I don’t think he was qualified for this job from the outset,” Bolton said, adding that according to reports, Hegseth had previously applied for the position of Pentagon press secretary during Trump’s first term—a role for which, Bolton suggested, his background might have been more suitable. “In any case, he finds himself in a very difficult position now,” Bolton concluded.
The dual-edged interview—acknowledging operational missteps while denying intent, and simultaneously casting doubt on current Pentagon leadership—underscores ongoing internal U.S. debates over military accountability, targeting protocols, and civilian protection, even as Tehran has condemned the attack as a blatant act of state terrorism and vowed to pursue legal and diplomatic avenues in response.