Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton warned that releasing frozen Iranian assets as part of a potential U.S. deal with Iran would strengthen the country's hardline Revolutionary Guard and undermine U.S. national security interests.
Bolton Warns Against Unfreezing Iran Assets
On Sunday, Bolton posted on X that releasing frozen Iranian assets back to Iran's government would empower what he called the "religious fanatics running the IRGC," arguing it would be "completely contradictory to our interests."
In a CNN interview clip he shared, Bolton expanded on that view, criticizing discussions around unfreezing Iranian funds held abroad under sanctions.
He said returning the money would directly strengthen the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's most powerful military and security organization.
