John Bolton and Donald Trump have offered conflicting accounts about what was known ahead of Iran’s recent actions. The former national security adviser addressed the issue while discussing escalating tensions in the Middle East.
John Bolton talks about Donald Trump being aware of Iran’s attacks
The Hill reported that former national security adviser John Bolton repeatedly briefed Donald Trump on possible Iranian retaliation scenarios. He disputed Trump’s claim that such actions were unexpected. Bolton stated, “Well, I know for a fact that he was aware of those potentials. I raised the option of regime change in Iran several times during the time I was national security adviser.” He added, “I find it hard to believe that he forgot about it in the intervening years.”
Trump said Iran was not “supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and claimed, “Nobody expected that. We were shocked.” When asked if he had been briefed, Trump responded, “Nobody, nobody, no, no, no. No, the greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit.”
Bolton said that discussions about striking Iran always included risks such as closing the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf Arab states’ oil infrastructure. He stated, “If you’re going to embark on it you better have answers to them, and certainly closing the Strait of Hormuz was always one of them and so were attacks on the Gulf Arab states, particularly their oil infrastructure, so he knew about it in his first term.”
Experts and Iranian officials had publicly warned that Tehran would likely retaliate against nearby U.S. allies. Iran has since attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
The conflict, now in its third week, has resulted in 13 U.S. service member deaths, at least 200 injuries, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said, “Look, if we left right now it would take 10 years for them to rebuild, but we’re not ready to leave yet.”
