Potential Iran deal is 'a big defeat' for US: John Bolton | Elizabeth Vargas Reports

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]What do you make of this potential deal, this 60-day memo of understanding? The strait would reopen, US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports. US would lift sanctions to allow Iran to sell its oil, and Iran would commit not to pursue a nuclear weapon.

[00:00:18]>> Well, I think it's a big defeat for the United States. The reason Iran is willing to discuss anything is the military force of the United States, and under this deal for 60 days, that will be suspended. What what are all the forces in the region that we have going to do for 60 days? Just kind of hang around? What Iran is counting on is it as this process drags out, as all the key issues are kicked down the road, that our forces will begin to melt away, and that they will be able to sell oil to replenish their assets, rebuild their military program, and take away the biggest threat to the regime that we have, which is the economic threat. I think this is a mistake. I think it is being undertaken not because of any strategic analysis of the importance to the United States. It's because of the administration's fear of high gasoline prices at the pump in the United States.

[00:01:21]That is what is driving us.

[00:01:23]>> Well, you're against the US even negotiating with Iran to get a peace deal. Why shouldn't we negotiate? Why why do you think war is the only option?

[00:01:34]>> I didn't say war [clears throat] is the only option. If you think the Iranians are going to live up to to almost anything in this deal, including a serious discussion of eliminating their nuclear program, then there's really not much to say about it. I think this counts on the short attention span of the United States, and it will allow Iran to regroup during the 60-day period. It will dig out more of the buried missiles, missile launchers, drones, and other facilities. It will give them 60 more days to rebuild their drone and missile production facilities. 60 more days to work on their nuclear weapons program. 60 more days to rebuild the terrorist network. 60 more days to repress their own people.

[00:02:23]I think it's a significant setback.

[00:02:25]>> Iran is demanding, as you know, that $12 billion in frozen funds be returned as part of any peace deal in exchange for allowing tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

[00:02:36]That's flat-out extortion. Pay us and we'll reopen the Strait.

[00:02:42]>> Yeah. Well, you're you're you're in favor of agreeing to it, it seems, since you think the only alternative to it is war.

[00:02:48]>> in favor of anything. I'm asking you what you think the president should do.

[00:02:54]>> I think he should end the ceasefire and return to hostilities. The regime in in Iran was badly weakened by the US and Israeli attacks, but not yet defeated.

[00:03:06]And what it's doing now is climbing out of the grave that we were digging for it and rebuilding itself. And it will come back to re-engage in all of the activities, starting with the nuclear program, continuing with their terrorist proxy network, and the repression of the Iranian people that we had set back. And the reason we're doing this is because of the of the effective stoppage of the export of oil from the Gulf, which we could alleviate if we were to use military force to open the Gulf Arab side to get that production out while keeping the blockade against Iran to continue economically squeezing them.

[00:03:48]But we're going to give that up, too.

[00:03:50]>> So, you're when you say we should go back to hostilities, isn't that another way of saying it's war? It's the war in Iran. But, you're saying we should use our military to re- we can, you're saying, to reopen the strait to commercial oil traffic while still maintaining our blockade on the Iranian ports.

[00:04:10]>> Right. And in 60 days, if this agreement goes through and Iran says, "You know, we're not happy. We're going to close the Strait of Hormuz again." What what does the US do then?

[00:04:20]>> Have we crossed some sort of Rubicon here where Iran closes the strait and disrupts the world's oil market whenever it doesn't think it's getting what it's wanting?

[00:04:31]>> I I think that's where we're headed.

[00:04:33]That's why the only way to restore deterrence uh against Iran or any other regime in the region is to say, "If somebody tries to close the Strait of Hormuz, to violate the fundamental principle of freedom of the seas, >> [clears throat] >> we will open it again."

[00:04:50]Uh and if that were made clear, then I don't think there'd be nearly as much danger that Iran or anybody else would try and close the strait in the future.

[00:04:59]Uh I think they believe we've got a short attention span. We're obsessed by the November elections. Uh and as time draw- draws uh draws closer to the elections, uh after 60 days, is Trump more likely to use force then than it is now? I I think the chances of of uh any return to force to achieve what uh what what may or may not have been Trump's objectives in starting the use of force to begin with, diminish the closer we get to the elections.

[00:05:29]>> He says he doesn't care about the midterms.

[00:05:33]>> That's all he cares about. This is about price at the pump of gasoline, and he thinks if he can get the Strait of Hormuz open, global price of petroleum will fall, price at the pump here will fall, inflation will fall, and election chances will look better in November.

[00:05:50]That's exactly what it's about.

[00:05:52]>> Well, Ambassador John Bolton, I will say there are increasingly a number of vocal Republicans who are echoing a lot of what you're saying, that we may be missing, who knows, an important opportunity here. Um, we shall see. [clears throat] Ambassador, thank you. Really appreciate you coming on tonight.

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