Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has called on President Trump to shift the focus of negotiations away from Iran and toward China. In a New York Times essay, Bolton argued that Chinese President Xi Jinping - whose country remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil - has the most to lose if the Persian Gulf stays shut. Trump should tell Xi to pressure the clerics to reopen the strait, Bolton wrote, or China will not receive another barrel of oil from any Gulf state.
Bolton laid out his case in a guest essay for The New York Times, "Hvylya" reports.
The former adviser criticized the current approach of engaging Tehran directly. "Negotiating with these enemies will not yield a durable result," Bolton wrote. "Their cease-fires last as long as they find it convenient." He pointed to the Houthi experience as proof: an Omani-brokered cease-fire ended inconclusively last year, and the Houthis resumed attacks on Israel within months.
Bolton argued that sanctions should be restored against all Iranian oil sales to increase pressure on China and others, including Russia. He noted that under the current arrangement, Iran continues earning income from oil transiting the strait - income that funds the war against American service members. "What sense does that make?" Bolton asked.
The chief negotiator with Xi should be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Bolton insisted - not the vice president or outside volunteers. He also urged Trump to rally Gulf Arab states to communicate directly with European and major Asian oil buyers such as India, Japan, and South Korea about why the conflict demands their involvement.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are already effectively advocating regime change in Tehran, Bolton noted, adding that their direct appeals to European buyers could help minimize irritation with Trump's broader approach.
"Hvylya" earlier reported on why Thomas Friedman argues that the Trump-Xi summit could reshape global geopolitics more profoundly than the Iran war itself.