00:00This is now a critical question. What is going to happen with the sanctions regime on Iran and what happens
00:05if the U.S. does decide to lift some of those sanctions?
00:09Will the Europeans have to follow suit? To debrief, let's cross over now to the United States because we are
00:14joined by John Bolton.
00:16He is the former national security advisor to President Trump. Sir, there's a lot of questions still about the details
00:22of this framework.
00:23The president of the U.S. says that they will be revealed in the next 24 to 48 hours. But
00:28based on what you see, is this a good deal for the United States and this is a good deal
00:32for the rest of the world?
00:35No, I think it's a very bad deal for the United States. Trump isn't thinking about the geostrategic implications of
00:42the deal.
00:43He's thinking of one thing. He wants the straight open. He wants gulf oil on international markets.
00:48He wants the price of gasoline at the pump down. That's all he cares about.
00:55So at this point, we understand you're saying that he's put the U.S. national security at risk in exchange
01:01for cheap oil.
01:03Well, I think that's basically what it comes down to. You know, Trump says he's digitally signed the agreement.
01:08The prime minister of Pakistan says they're going to sign it on Friday after four more days of technical talks.
01:14We don't know what's in this deal. If it were a great deal, it would be out in public.
01:19And I think that tells you pretty much what you need to know.
01:24Let me pick up on that point because we have not seen the details.
01:27He's talking now about a window of 24 to 48 hours.
01:30The fact that we don't know the details, what does that say to you?
01:33Is this a situation that is still fluid?
01:36Well, I think it's embarrassing to the president.
01:38I think there's going to be some indication of unfreezing of Iranian assets, which he roundly criticized Barack Obama for
01:47back in 2016, and which I think is a mistake.
01:50I think it's a mistake to give this brutal theocracy any of the assets.
01:54I'm happy to give the assets back to Iran when it's under a free government.
01:59That's not where we are now.
02:02But he did say there has been a change of leadership, and he did say they will never get the
02:07nuclear weapon, and they have agreed to that.
02:09So you don't buy that.
02:11The change of leadership is only because we've killed the top 400 or 500 people in the existing regime, and
02:17you're down now to their seconds and deputies.
02:19So, yeah, it's different people, but it's the same fanatic regime.
02:23And I think that the idea that the deal is worthwhile because Iran has committed not to get nuclear weapons
02:31is a fantasy.
02:32Iran has been committed to not getting nuclear weapons for 56 years now since it joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
02:38Treaty in 1970.
02:40Now, that was under the Shah, but even after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the government has repeatedly said they won't
02:47seek nuclear weapons, including in the 2015 nuclear deal.
02:50They just don't mean it.
02:54But I don't want to put words in your mouth, but if you say that this is not a good
02:57deal, that he's done this to get oil prices down, that he cannot guarantee there is no nuclear weapon when
03:03it comes to the regime,
03:04and you also say nothing has changed when it comes to the leadership, then, therefore, you could possibly argue the
03:09world today is far more dangerous.
03:12Well, I don't think it's far more dangerous immediately because I do think the U.S.-Israeli attacks cause considerable casualties
03:19among Iran's top leadership.
03:21I think we've done enormous damage to their military-industrial complex, more damage to the nuclear program, damage to the
03:27Navy, damage to the Air Force.
03:29It's going to take them a long time to recover from those attacks.
03:34And I want to ask you two final questions, one about the Europeans and then another one going back to
03:41Iran.
03:42At this point, if they do not comply with the terms, and we still don't know what those terms are,
03:46does the U.S. have any leverage in terms of the military might?
03:49Because it seems to me President Trump will want to avoid, at all costs, another attack before the midterm elections.
03:56Well, that's exactly right, and the Iranians can see that.
03:58They've seen for weeks, if not months, Trump is desperate for a deal.
04:04He's desperate for a deal, and they have maneuvered him.
04:06They've played him like a violin.
04:08That's why they've got the deal that they want.
04:12So Iran got the better hand of the deal.
04:14That's what you would argue.
04:16Yes, because they could see how palpably Trump wanted out of this, which means I don't think he's going to
04:22use military force again.
04:23And that takes the biggest weapon we have, the biggest leverage we have over Iran.
04:27That's all they will understand.
04:31And just very briefly, the Europeans today, President Macron, saying he can't put forward a mission to help reopen the
04:37Strait of Hormuz.
04:37President Trump was very unhappy that they did not do that immediately.
04:41Is this going to fix the relationship in the context of NATO?
04:44No, I think this European force is a fantasy.
04:47Is it willing to use force to keep the Strait open, or is it going to be like a U
04:50.N. peacekeeping force that just waves as the ceasefire is violated?
04:54Nobody would ever address that question.
04:58Well, John Bolton, thank you so much for joining us on this important topic and a very important day here
05:03at Euronews.
05:04We thank you for your time.
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