Former White House national security adviser John Bolton on Monday said the negotiations to end the war in Iran are \u201ca mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolton, an outspoken critic of President Trump\u2019s handling of the conflict, told CNN\u2019s Pamela Brown that he hopes to see the discussions \u201cbreak down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think the ceasefire was a mistake,\u201d he said. \u201cI think these negotiations are a mistake. I think we\u2019re on the verge of something that ultimately history will decide was a catastrophic loss for the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have, we have done significant damage to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and right now we\u2019re letting them undo the damage, and that that is a real tragedy, not just for us, but for the people in the region too,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolton lambasted the 60-day extension of the ceasefire, one of the expectations reportedly set out in the latest peace proposal, suggesting that Iran wants a longer timeline that will only extend as months drag along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think Donald Trump is analyzing what America\u2019s strategic interests are here,\u201d Bolton continued. \u201cI think he\u2019s looking at the price of gas at the pump, and he\u2019s doing whatever he can to bring it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The comments follow Bolton\u2019s calls last week to end the ceasefire. He urged the administration to force open the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20 percent of the world\u2019s oil passes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The effective closure of the key waterway since the onset of the conflict in February has caused global energy prices to skyrocket. The national gas price average is about $4.50 as of Monday, per AAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolton said the Strait of Hormuz should be taken away from Iran, taking aim at the Trump administration\u2019s handling of the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIran has to learn the lesson it cannot get its way in the Gulf by military force,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s reasonable to ask, why didn\u2019t the administration think of this at the beginning of the war? I don\u2019t know the answer to that question, but the answer now is not to have a diplomatic deal that can be reversed, like by Iran, like turning a light switch on and off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. and Iran are currently in talks about a possible peace deal, which includes discussions about reopening the passageaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sticking point in these negotiations relates to Iran\u2019s nuclear capabilities, including its enriched uranium stockpile. Trump and other administration officials have accused Iran of being an \u201cimminent nuclear threat\u201d early in the conflict, and has said Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran has always defended its nuclear program as developed for peaceful purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolton on Monday attacked his former boss, saying Trump \u201cthinks everybody wants to make a deal on just about everything\u201d and is \u201cpalpably desperate to have a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd [Iran is] playing him on that, they\u2019re stretching him out, they\u2019re buying time,\u201d Bolton told CNN. \u201cAll of that works in their advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n