Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton is sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump's push for a nuclear agreement with Iran. Bolton says the deal Trump is chasing might look good for a press conference but could be terrible for U.S. and allied security.
On Wednesday, Bolton posted on X, saying, "I fear a bad deal is coming for America, Israel and Gulf Arab states." He argued Trump's "zeal for a deal" would let him "declare victory and move on from the conflict." Bolton also said the push for an agreement is "motivated by domestic political concerns, not by national-security strategic analysis."
Bolton's comments come as the situation around the Strait of Hormuz remains tense. Iran had threatened to close the Strait and target vessels in the key shipping route, while President Trump had warned of possible U.S. military action if no nuclear agreement was reached. Iran's military had declared the Strait closed to commercial and oil traffic, though U.S. Central Command said the waterway remained open and reports of attacks were false. Trump also earlier said negotiators were close to a "very, very good deal" on Iran's nuclear program.
On Tuesday, President Trump ordered military strikes against Iran after a U.S. Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The helicopter had crashed during a patrol near Oman's coast, though both pilots survived and were rescued. Trump had blamed Iran for the incident, calling for a "very strong" response, while also later saying it "wasn't a big deal" because the pilot was safe. U.S. Central Command said American forces carried out "proportional" precision strikes on Iranian air-defense and radar systems near the Strait in response to attacks on U.S. forces and shipping in the region.
So we've got a classic Trump dynamic: the president wants a deal to declare victory, but his former national security adviser thinks that's exactly the wrong approach. Bolton, who was famously hawkish on Iran during his time in the administration, is now publicly warning that the deal being cooked up could be a dud. Whether Trump listens or not is another question — but with strikes already happening, the stakes are clearly high.
