Bolton Hopes Trump Will ‘Abrogate’ Iran Nuclear Deal Soon After Taking Office

CNS News–22 Nov. 2016-  Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, one of several reported contenders to be secretary of state in the Trump administration, said Monday it is important for the next president to rescind the Iran nuclear deal soon after taking office.
Referring to an agreement which President-elect Donald Trump has described as one of the worst he has seen, Bolton told Fox Business’ Lou Dobbs it was “important for Donald Trump, once inaugurated, to move very quickly in the early days of his presidency to abrogate this deal.”
“We’ve got to send a clear political signal that it’s a strategic mistake,” he said.
Some critics of the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have suggested that Trump, rather than abandon the agreement, should insist on rock-solid compliance by Iran, saying that may in itself cause it to unravel.
Bolton’s expressed views are more uncompromising.
He said Monday night that companies need to be warned that any business transactions they enter into with Iran following the easing of sanctions under the JCPOA could be at risk.
“This is an urgent, urgent matter. When the ayatollahs get nuclear weapons – they’re the biggest financer of terrorism around the world. What if they give a terrorist group a nuclear weapon?” he asked. “This is extremely dangerous – for us, for Israel, and others.”
The Obama administration contends that the deal it negotiated with Iran and five other countries has made the world a safer place, by cutting off the various pathways Iran has to developing a nuclear weapons capability.
Critics counter that concessions in the deal, including allowing the regime to keep much of its nuclear infrastructure intact, could facilitate Iran becoming a nuclear threshold state once JCPOA sunset provisions expire, after 10-15 years. They are also concerned about how Iran will use the billions of dollars gained from the deal.
Asked by Dobbs about President Obama’s approach to the nuclear deal, Bolton replied, “His world view is completely backwards. He thinks that if we only could convince the ayatollahs that America’s not a threat to them, they’ll say ‘oh my goodness, we don’t need nuclear weapons,’ and sweetness and light will break out. It’s a basic misconception.”