Bolton: Trump leaving without reopening Strait of Hormuz would be ‘significant victory’ for Iran

Former national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday said if President Trump were to pull out of Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, it would be a “significant” victory for Tehran. 

“This tells the ayatollah and Revolutionary Guard in Tehran that they can do that anytime they want. And if Trump gets out before we have cleared the strait it will be a significant strategic victory for Iran,” Bolton said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance.” 

“And let’s be clear, a defeat for the United States,” he added. 

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint that carries a fifth of the world’s oil transports daily. 

Iran has threatened to attack vessels attempting to pass through the strait without permission as it remains in conflict with the U.S. and Israel. 

Trump has repeatedly urged leaders in Iran to reopen the passageway from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea and was originally offering U.S. escorts for companies that require ships to pass through the chokepoint for oil sales to counterparts in Asia. 

However, no one has taken up the administration on the offer. The stalemate has created an energy crisis, sparking gas prices and leaving some countries concerned about their long-term ability to meet their population’s oil demands. 

Amid the challenges, Trump has touted the deaths of multiple Iranian leaders and commanders, including Allied Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as effectively marking a regime change. 

The president suggested those who replaced the deceased are “much less radical” and “far more intelligent” than their predecessors.

But Bolton says the regime remains in place and their ideology remains the same.

“It’s not regime change at all. Look, this is a phenomenon of a radical Islamist ideology. It’s been inculcated in the Revolutionary Guard for 47 years. They have not moderated. They have not changed. They have purified the Guard leadership periodically to make sure of that,” Bolton told “On Balance” host Leland Vittert.

“And what you have now are certainly new faces, but the same ideology. And if this wounded animal gets back in power in Tehran, they will go back to doing exactly what their predecessors were doing, rebuilding the nuclear weapons program, rebuilding the ballistic missile program, rebuilding the terrorist network, and now practicing how to close the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic,” Bolton added.

He continued, “This is worse than having sat back and done nothing at this point.”

The former national security adviser urged Trump to press ahead with strikes further crippling the regime’s leadership leading it to “collapse” on itself.

On Wednesday, Trump said new leaders requested a ceasefire and an end to the war in Iran but said he would not end the fighting until the Strait of Hormuz was “open, free and clear.”

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