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'No strategy, just panic,' Bolton says of Trump's Iran war

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April 11, 2026

What do President Donald Trump's threats reveal about his mindset? What's at stake as Vice President JD Vance heads into critical talks? DW's Ines Pohl talks to John Bolton, one of Trump's former national security advisers.

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton criticizes US President Donald Trump's Iran strategy, saying that the US president "simply doesn't understand much about the wider world."

As US-Iran relations remains extremely tense and Vice President JD Vance heads into high-stakes talks, Bolton warns of escalation risks, unclear objectives and growing instability in the Middle East. 

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