John Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, on Tuesday criticized the president’s foreign policy strategy in the Iran war.<\/p>\n
During his Tuesday “State of Play” appearance, Bolton told MS NOW’s Peter Alexander that Trump’s new threat<\/a> to Oman is “evidence that he’s lost at sea” and “doesn’t know what to do” in the midst of this conflict.\u00a0<\/p>\n The president warned Omani officials on Monday against getting “in the way” of ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil trading waterway that has been effectively closed during strikes.<\/p>\n Oman, a U.S. ally in this region, has acted as a mediator<\/a> in these talks.\u00a0<\/p>\n “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s\u2011\u2011\u2011 out of them,” Trump told Fox News’s Trey Yingst, according to a transcript<\/a> the journalist shared to social media Monday.<\/p>\n While Bolton told MS NOW he believed Oman to be a “dubious choice” to mediate these discussions, the former U.N. ambassador said this comment “damages” America’s relationships in this critical region.\u00a0<\/p>\n Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, told reporters Monday that Oman and Iran had “reached an understanding” on new shipping lanes through the strait.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, Trump told Yingst the same day that he was “not in a hurry” to reach a deal with Iran to end this months-long conflict, pushing back on suggestions that the midterm elections would influence<\/a> his approach to these negotiations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bolton has become a frequent critic of the Trump administration and the U.S. military’s strategy in its operations against Iran since leaving the White House during the president’s first term.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I come from the perspective of having believed for over 20 years that there will not be peace and stability in the Middle East until the regime in Tehran is removed,” Bolton told Alexander on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I thought, I hoped, at the beginning of this conflict that’s maybe what Trump wanted,” he continued. “I don’t know what he wanted. I think it’s clear he doesn’t think strategically. He has a short attention span, and we are where we are now in large measure because of that.”<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n