John Bolton says Iran played Trump ‘like a violin’

Iran outmanoeuvred US President Donald Trump “like a violin” in negotiations, walking away with far better terms after sensing his desperation for a deal to end the war, former US National Security Adviser John Bolton told Euronews.

“They’ve played him like a violin,” Bolton said. “That’s why they’ve got the deal that they want.”

Bolton told Euronews Trump’s main concern was energy prices rather than the geopolitical implications of the agreement.

“Trump isn’t thinking about the geo-strategic implications of the deal. He’s thinking of one thing. He wants the strait open. He wants Gulf oil on international markets. He wants the price of gasoline at the pump down. That’s all he cares about,” he said.

Asked whether that amounted to trading US national security for lower fuel prices, Bolton replied: “I think that’s basically what it comes down to.”