UAE and US announce far-reaching defence cooperation agreement, following Trump's earlier bypass of congress to sell $8.1 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies
Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind recent oil tanker attacks that sent Gulf tensions soaring. Riyadh's regional rival Tehran dismissed the accusation as "laughable".
Separately in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani said that the "road is not closed" when it comes to talks with the US — if America returns to the nuclear deal. However, the relatively moderate Rouhani faces increasing criticism from hard-liners and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the collapsing accord.
Saudi Arabia and the US have accused Iran of being the mastermind behind the Yemeni rebels' attack on the pipeline, while an investigation has been launched into the attacks on ships off the UAE. The accord saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Trump pulled out of the accord as he said it didn't go far enough in limiting the Iranian nuclear program, nor did it address Iran's ballistic missile program.
"There's no reason for them to do any of that unless that's part of an effort to reduce the breakout time to produce nuclear weapons," Bolton said. "That's a very serious issue if they continue to do that." But Bolton himself, for years before becoming national security adviser, called for overthrowing Iran's government in interviews and in a paid speaking engagement before an Iranian exile group.
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