Negotiations to end the months-long war with Iran have drawn fierce criticism from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who stated Monday that he hopes the current diplomatic efforts completely collapse.
The political rift comes as President Donald Trump announced that a final deal is “largely negotiated,” suggesting that a permanent end to the war could be tied to multiple nations normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel. The conflict began in February with a six-week U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, leading to a temporary ceasefire in April that currently remains in place.
Despite the administration’s optimism, Iranian officials have publicly downplayed the timeline, stating that an agreement is not imminent. Negotiators are reportedly deadlocked over control of the Strait of Hormuz—a vital shipping lane closed by Iran at the start of hostilities—and the status of Iran’s nuclear material. While some Trump administration officials have publicly argued that Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded otherwise, finding that the country is not close to weaponization.
READ: US Conducts “Self-Defense” Strikes In Southern Iran As Trump Says Peace Talks “Proceeding Nicely”
Bolton, a long-time foreign policy hawk who served under Trump during his first term, blasted both the ceasefire and the peace talks during a Monday appearance on CNN. When anchor Pamela Brown asked if he felt optimistic about the memorandum given past diplomatic failures, Bolton explicitly called for the talks to fall apart.
“Well, I hope the negotiations break down, because every day that goes by is a gift to Iran,” Bolton said. “It gives them 24 more hours to recover from the pummeling they took during the six weeks of U.S.-Israeli attack. It gives them time to try and reconstitute their government, which increasingly looks dysfunctional in decision-making capability. And it postpones the day of reckoning.”
Bolton further labeled the ongoing diplomatic track a mistake, warning of long-term geopolitical fallout if Washington seals an agreement with Tehran.
“I think we’re on the verge of something that ultimately history will decide was a catastrophic loss for the United States,” Bolton said. “We have done significant damage to the Islamic Republic of Iran. And right now, we’re letting them undo the damage. And that is a real tragedy, not just for us, but for the people in the region, too.”
The White House has not formally responded to Bolton’s remarks, and talks between the nations are expected to continue despite the internal political pushback.
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