10/4/2018

IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Hanging on a wall in John Bolton’s West Wing office is a memento of his proudest achievement as national security adviser: a framed copy of President Donald Trump’s order to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal. Right next to it hangs a cartoon mocking the agreement. Bolton’s choice of decor reflects his disdain for the deal secured by President Barack Obama and other world powers in 2015, and his relentless focus on trying to isolate Tehran and cripple its economy by reimposing tight sanctions. Bolton took over as national security adviser in early April. A month later, Trump abandoned the Iran deal, meeting a promise he had made as a presidential candidate, which other wary West Wing advisers had persuaded him to put off. Bolton changed that dynamic quickly. In an interview with Reuters, he said he reassured Trump that his instincts were right and that he could ignore the pleas and warnings of moderates and European allies to stay in the deal.”

Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Jonathan Landay, “Bolton 2.0: Trump’s tough guy on Iran picks his battles,” Reuters, October 4, 2018 3:05 am