United States sanctions on Iran have had a “profound negative” impact on the Iranian economy but Washington does not want to force a regime change, Donald Trump’s national security advisor has said.

John Bolton, who became the president’s advisor in March, was speaking from Jerusalem as he wrapped up three days of talks with leading Israeli officials, including the country’s president Reuven Rivlin and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Bolton said the US decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran had seen a far greater impact than initially predicted. He pointed to recent anti-government rallies across Iran as an example of internal rage directed at the Iranian government but maintained that the US had no interest in forcing a leadership change in the country.

“Just to be clear, regime change in Iran is not American policy. But what we want is massive change in the regime’s behaviour,” Mr Bolton said from the King David hotel.

“By bringing the hammer down again, by reimposing American sanctions we have seen a profound negative effect on Iran. I think actually more serious than we would have predicted.

“To the best of our knowledge [the protests] are not organised. This is not some kind of a conspiracy in Iran, it is just regular people saying they are fed up with the government.”

Mr Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal worried many European countries that have sought to salvage the agreement, which saw Iran halt any nuclear weapons programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. It also angered Iran, which is struggling with a wave of unrest back home.

Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in recent weeks protesting against soaring unemployment, food prices and the collapse of the rial, which has lost half of its value since April.

Many fear additional sanctions will only pile further pressure on the embattled Iranian economy, sparking accusations that the US had deliberately tightened the screws to push for a new government in Iran.

Mr Bolton dismissed the claims and said the 2015 deal was scrapped because it “gave new life … new assets” to Iran allowing it to better pursue its nuclear intentions.

Mr Bolton also spoke about Syria, where the Israeli authorities fear Iran, and its proxies, are building a permanent footprint in the country from which to attack Israel.

Israel has come under attack from Iran in Syria and so has repeatedly bombed Iranian military infrastructure in the country, a move that Mr Bolton called a “legitimate act of self-defence”.

Mr Bolton is due in Geneva on Thursday where he will meet his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev to discuss the increasingly complex battlefield in Syria. Russia, like Iran, intervened militarily to back Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad.

But according to Mr Bolton, Russian president Vladimir Putin told US officials that while he would also like to see Iranian forces exit Syria, “he said I can’t do it myself”.

“Perhaps joint US-Russian efforts might be sufficient,” Mr Bolton suggested in Wednesday’s meeting.

Iran protests – in pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Iran protests – in pictures Iran protests – in pictures University students at an anti-government protest inside Tehran University, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests – in pictures A university student at a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by anti-riot Iranian police, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests – in pictures University students at a protest inside Tehran University, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests – in pictures University students run away from the police during an anti-government protest inside Tehran University, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests – in pictures An image grab taken from a handout video released by Iran's Mehr News agency reportedly shows a group of men pulling at a fence in a street in Tehran, 30 December 2017 AFP/Getty Iran protests – in pictures Demonstrators gather to protest in Tehran, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests – in pictures Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran, 30 December 2017 AFP/Getty Iran protests – in pictures Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran, December 30 2017 Iran protests – in pictures Iranian clerics take part during a state-organized rally against anti-government protests in the country, in the holy city of Qom, south west Iran, 3 January 2018 EPA Iran protests – in pictures In this photo provided by the Iranian Students' News Agency, a clergyman takes a picture of a pro-government demonstration in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, 3 January 2018 ISNA via AP Iran protests – in pictures Pro-government demonstrators gather at the Massoumeh shrine in Iran's holy city of Qom, some 130 kilometres south of Tehran, 3 January 2018 AFP/Getty

Mr Bolton was also questioned about the US’s long-awaited and much-speculated Middle East peace plan for Israel and the Palestinian territories.

He said a “lot of progress” had been made but offered no time frame. The deal, which Trump officials promised is the most comprehensive peace package ever, is being spearheaded by top White House aide and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who toured the region in June.

The Palestinians have dismissed the US as a viable mediator after Mr Trump moved the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a contested city that both Palestinians and Israeli claim as their capital.