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“The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir” is scheduled to be released on June 23, and, as of now, the White House has not formally signed off on it, the source said. Bolton has already scheduled network interviews to promote the book, a separate source told CNN. A spokesperson for Bolton declined to comment.

The Washington Post was the first to report the details of Bolton’s plan. CNN has contacted the book’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, for comment.

News of Bolton’s plans to move forward follow numerous delays as his lawyers have been embroiled in a battle with the White House over the contents. The Trump administration has raised concerns about the publication of classified information that it says is protected by executive privilege.

Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that Bolton, in his unpublished manuscript, alleged that President Donald Trump directed him to help with his pressure campaign to get damaging information on Democrats from Ukraine.

According to the Times, he also alleged that Trump didn’t want to lift a hold on military aid to Ukraine until officials there complied with the request. Bolton’s lawyers have not denied the substance of the New York Times reports but have condemned the leaks behind it.

The President, vice president, and some agency heads designated by the President have broad authority over classifying or declassifying information.

CNN previously reported that Bolton’s team has prepared for the possibility that the administration may try to retroactively classify some of the material in his book — a measure that is uncommon, but not unheard of, due to loopholes in executive order 13526.

“The President is really empowered by the words in this executive authority,” said J. William Leonard, the former director of the information security office which overseas executive branch implementation of the executive order — and former deputy secretary of defense.

“It’s an authority that can be abused and it can weaken the classification system,” Leonard said. “They abuse it to keep the information out of the hands of adversaries that could potentially use the information to harm the country.”

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During an appearance at Duke University Monday night, Bolton was asked about a Trump tweet saying he was tougher on Venezuela than his former adviser. In response, Bolton referenced his upcoming book, saying, “I say things in the manuscript about what he said to me. I hope they become public someday.”

“He tweets but I can’t talk about it,” Bolton added. “How fair is that?”

Bolton’s comments come as one of his aides teold NBC News that it’s unclear if his book about his time in the Trump White House — “The Room Where It happened” — will publish next month as planned. The aide said a White House national security review of the manuscript could push back the book’s March 17 publication date.

Bolton himself addressed the review Monday, saying, “I hope it’s not suppressed.”

“I didn’t think I was obligated to go through prepublication review. When my first book came out I didn’t. But we’re in the process now,” he said, adding, “and for now I’m going to let it go.”

He and the White House have been at odds for nearly two months over publication of the book. The White House has said it includes classified information. But Bolton, who also wrote a book about his time in the administration of President George W. Bush as the US ambassador to the United Nations, has maintained that there is nothing classified in his book.

When Bolton submitted his book to the White House for a standard national security review in December, his attorney, Charles Cooper, wrote in a letter that he was not required to do so but had gone ahead out of an abundance of caution.

After parts of the book leaked to the media, Bolton’s team said the White House review process had been corrupted.

“We continue to believe that the manuscript contains no legitimately classified material,” Sarah Tinsley, a senior adviser to Bolton, recently said in a statement. She expressed concern that the review process “is more about suppressing Ambassador Bolton’s book than about classification issues.”

One possibility is that the White House will retroactively classify information in the book or has already done so.

Bolton, a longtime fixture in the Republican Party, recently became a target for Trump and his allies following revelations that he would directly link the president to the White House’s pressure campaign on Ukraine. The New York Times has reported that Bolton writes in his book that Trump sought his help with the Ukraine campaign.

Bolton offered to testify in the president’s impeachment trial, where he would have provided a firsthand account of Trump’s decision to withhold US aid to Ukraine in exchange for its government’s announcement of an investigation into his political rivals. But Senate Republicans rejected the idea and acquitted Trump of charges that he abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce a corruption investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.

Biden is running in the Democratic primary to challenge Trump in November.

When asked Monday night whether he agreed with the president that the call with Zelenskiy was “perfect,” Bolton responded, “you’ll love chapter 14.”

Bolton said the Ukraine parts of his book are “the sprinkles on an ice cream sundae,” adding, “we’ll have to see what comes out of the censorship.” He declined to comment further.

Bolton left the White House in September on contentious terms with Trump. He said he resigned, while the president said he was fired. He served 17 months as Trump’s national security adviser.

Bolton is also scheduled to speak Wednesday at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

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According To Iran News, Former US national security adviser John Bolton said in a series of cryptic tweets that he’s regained control of his personal Twitter account, asserting the White House refused to provide access to it after he resigned in September.

Bolton issued a series of tweets Friday that began with him saying he was glad to be back on Twitter and to “stay tuned”, AP reported.

A third tweet accused the White House of refusing to return access to the account, asking, “Out of fear of what I may say? To those who speculated I went into hiding, I’m sorry to disappoint!”

Finally, Bolton thanked Twitter for “standing by their community standards” and “rightfully returning control” of his account.

Twitter declined to comment. Trump was asked on Fox News whether the White House froze Bolton’s Twitter account.

“Of course not. No, I actually had a good relationship with John,” Trump said. “We disagreed on some things and some methods, but I actually had a good relationship. No, I didn’t do that.”

Bolton and Trump clashed frequently on foreign policy and the US president said the hawkish Bolton did not get along with others in the administration and was out of step with him on policy.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – The White House’s alleged effort to pressure Ukraine so alarmed former national security adviser John Bolton that he alerted a lawyer, his former aide said on Monday, according to US media.

Bolton also warned that President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who has emerged as the point man in the president’s alleged drive to pressure Ukraine to dig up dirt on Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, is “a hand grenade who’s going to blow everyone up,” his aide Fiona Hill told lawmakers, according to the New York Times.

The remark, which was also reported by NBC News, came after Trump’s former top Russia advisor Hill sat for an hours-long closed door deposition before US lawmakers probing whether to impeach the president.

Following a “sharp exchange” with US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who was working with Giuliani on the pressure campaign, Bolton instructed Hill to notify a National Security Council lawyer, according to the Times.

Referring to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Bolton also said that “I am not part of whatever drug deal Rudy and Mulvaney are cooking up,” the Times reported, citing two sources familiar with Hill’s deposition.

Her testimony came after allegations that Trump pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens in a July 25 phone call, which sparked an impeachment inquiry by the House of Representatives.

The White House’s call memo shows Trump sought a “favor” from Zelensky. Democrats who control the chamber say it was a demand to investigate Biden — the president’s potential 2020 election rival — and a Ukrainian firm that hired Biden’s son Hunter.

On Monday evening, Giuliani, the hand grenade as Bolton calls, said, “I don’t know Fiona and can’t figure out what she is talking about,” and that the State Department arranged all his contacts with Ukraine, according to The Washington Post.

Last week, the Times reported that Giuliani was himself under federal investigation for his dealings with Kiev on Trump’s behalf.

Trump in September fired Bolton, who is known for his hardline stances on Washington’s archenemies, particularly Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.

Hill left the Trump administration shortly before the July call with Zelensky.

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He adds that “In fact, the whole foreign policy team is composed of hawks.”

Entessar says “Iran should never confuse Bolton’s firing with a change of course in Trump’s foreign policy towards Iran.”

Following is the full text of the interview:

What is your assessment of John Bolton’s dismissal? Will the militant faction become a minority with this layoff?

Bolton’s firing was due primarily to personality conflicts in the upper-echelon of Trump’s foreign policy team and had very little to do with policy differences toward Iran.  In fact, the whole foreign policy team is composed of hawks.  Iran should never confuse Bolton’s firing with a change of course in Trump’s foreign policy towards Iran.  There has been no change in this regard, nor there will be one in the future under Mike Pompeo’s management of the US State Department.

What effect will Bolton’s dismissal have on US foreign policy toward Iran?

As I indicated in my previous answer, John Bolton’s firing will have minimal or no impact on US foreign policy toward Iran.  Bolton was simply a bolt in the vast cog of the US anti-Iran foreign policy machinery that has deep roots in various elements of the US government, including the US congress.

It was speculated that Trump would be on a diplomatic course with Iran after dismissal of Bolton. On the other hand, Yemeni attacks on Aramco have prompted Washington to declare that it is ready to fight Iran. What is your assessment of this situation?

This incident clearly demonstrates that Bolton’s dismissal didn’t make a dent in the Trump administration’s Iran policy and that the pro-war hawks in the US are still very much in charge.

Since Pompeo has a Bolton-like approach, can Trump change Pompeo as well?

As Trump has demonstrated throughout the course of his presidency, nobody in his administration is immune from being fired.  The only exception to this rule is the case of his immediate relatives, like his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.  So far, Mike Pompeo has been an obedient soldier and has not challenged any of Trump’s major foreign policy moves.  AS long he continues to play this role, Pompeo is probably safe.

Given the change of a person like Bolton, will Israeli policies in the US State Department fade or shift?

No. Israel has a staunch and unflinching supporter in Mike Pompeo and his entire US State Department’s upper echelon.  Pompeo is the most loyal Likud supporter who has headed the State Department in many years.

Interview by Javad Heirannia

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His downfall has been translated in many different ways, so far, regarding its influence on US internal issues and America’s worldwide ties.

Some believe, he had been elected by Trump to make his Presidential campaign promises and approaching the second round of elections, Trump, who is dipping to 39 percent approval in a new CNN/SSRS poll (only 36 percent of those asked said he deserved reelection), is turning his face towards new managerial strategies to feel more confident about his second tenure in office.

Bolton is not the first cabinet member leaving under Trump. He, for sure, was a big voice in Trump’s ear but his opposing voice made the US President angry.

When it comes to foreign policy issues, absence of Bolton, a man of hawkish impulses and a fan of military intervention, in the White House, as some expect, could be Trump’s green light for a holding talks with old adversaries to release global tensions besides taking a less tough stance towards them.

About Iran, Bolton, is said to have different opinions from Trump and Pompeo. ‘He believed in ‘Regime Change’ and military attack to the Islamic country and the US without him would be a more flexible one towards Iran,’ some expected naively.

Iranian officials have announced that there is no room for talks between Tehran and Washington with or without Bolton. Calling ouster of Bolton US’ ‘internal issue’, they rejected any idea of a meeting between Trump and Rouhani underscoring that as long as the US’s unjust sanctions and economic terrorism are being imposed on Iranian people, there is no possibility of talks and negotiations. ‘The procedural changes in the US ruling body are not going to affect Iran’s perception of the US anti-Iran actions and policies,’ Iranian officials reiterate.

Any optimism about Washington on possible changes in its policy toward Iran after Bolton was killed off when the US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday that the US is still pursuing its campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran, even after Trump parted ways with his hard-line national security adviser because the White House believes in it as a practical tool against the Islamic Republic.

Sanctions against Iran have been effective and could help pressure Iran and its leaders to negotiate with Trump, Mnuchin added.

Another proof for the US’ continuing tough stance towards Iran was provided when Trump admitted on Thursday that Bolton was not of very difference from him. “Frankly, he wanted to do things not necessarily tougher than me,” later adding that Bolton “wasn’t in line with what we were doing, and actually, in some cases, he thought it was too tough what we were doing.”

In an interview with Mehr news agency, Mohammad Marandi, a professor at University of Tehran, shed light on the issue.

How can Trump’s decision about Bolton be translated? regarding US foreign policies in general and about Iran in particular.

Obviously, trump does not like rivals that is why that is so far, Pompeo, who is extremely obedient has had a better fate than that of Bolton. But I do not think that is going to have any impact on the policy of the US towards Iran. The only way for a major change to take place for the US is to recognize its obligations and abide by them within the framework of the JCPOA.

Is it a green light for holding talks with Iran?

Definitely, not! The mere way for the US is to end its maximum pressure campaign, its economic terrorism and warfare against Iranian women and children and to compensate for the damages done. Only after the sanctions are fully lifted and the nuclear deal is fully implemented for a period of time can be contemplated such a situation.

The US is continuing its maximum pressure, while Trump is open for negotiations. What is your idea about that?

Well, that is exactly the problem. The US wants to be able to violate its commitments and then get something in return and that would be the most foolish thing for Iran to accept. The US should not be benefitting from hurting people and that would be both appeasement and it would only make things worse because it will encourage the regime in Washington to use the same tactics every time, they do not get what they want at the negotiating table with Iran. And the very fact that we have seen these constant changes in the language of the White House and its different voices and all this confusion in Washington especially the White House is itself a reason why we should not engage with such a regime that is not reliable, is inconsistent, and would use suffering to gain leverage.

What will be Iran’s stance towards US? Is resistance the only option for the Islamic Republic? The US may take the upper hand persuading Europeans that it has taken a step forward for releasing tensions with Iran but it is Iran who escapes the negotiation table.

No, it is not Iran who has left the negotiation table. It is the US who has left the table. The US was at the negotiation table and was a part of P5+1, even under Trump his First Secretary State was negotiating with Iranians so they tore the agreement and left the table, tries to impose their will on other people so that they would not deal with Iran, such as the Europeans. The US is responsible for this situation. Simply removing one person from power like Bolton does not mean anything. It is not a concession. It is nothing. Iran does not even want concessions. Iran wants the US to abide by its commitments and obligations and until it does not so, the US will remain an unreliable regime for Iran. So, nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that the world sees more clearly how the US maximum pressure campaign has failed but Iranian resistance will continue until the US backs down and begins to behave reasonably and lawfully and as a normal country.

Can we say Iran has had a role in Trump’s decision?

It is possible to say that Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela, Yemen and also regarding some other issues, North Korea besides China and Russia had to do with Bolton’s downfall but at the end of the day I think Trump wants to be seen as the person in charge and Bolton does not make that easy for Trump.

Also, Bolton is not a person who is obedient to Trump and that has more to do than anything else, he concluded.

In practice, nothing has changed between Iran and the US after Bolton. The US persists in its maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic while Iran insists on practicality of ‘resistance’. JCPOA, hammered to open gateways of cooperation between Iran and P5+1 after years of hard negotiations, may start to crumble in case its sides withdrew from fulfilling their commitments to it.

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IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

American newspaper New York Times in an article on Bolton’s resignation wrote, “The disparity between President Trump and his national security advisor had climaxed in recent days because of failure in creating a prestigious scenario in talks with Taliban, and at the same time  Mike Pence’s support for Bolton’s stands had been fanning the flame of anger in Trump’s day by day and hour by hour. Because such supports strengthened Bolton’s stand  in decision-making and imposing the political viewpoints which were more like Netanyahu’s viewpoints rather than Trump’s.”

Of course such reasons were enough for elimination of the controversial figure, John Bolton, from the White House but the truth is something else because Mr. Trump is waiting eagerly to meet with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting ,and to this end and to take a photo with Mr. Rouhani, he has been pushed to détente and with taking into considerations all of these developments, one can likely say Bolton’s elimination was a gift to Iran and the U.S. policies were considered seriously as distancing from Zionist policies.

Bolton was the one who was after regime change in the Islamic Republic of Iran and during this year’s meeting with outlaw Iranian grouplet MKO in Paris had vowed to celebrate the collapse of regime in Iran by the yearend. But they stuck in the mud and failed in materializing this dream and it was natural that Bolton’s advisors sounded warning to him that Iranian officials would never come to negotiation table as long as Bolton was in charge.

So elimination of Bolton was a well-calculated move and it can be evaluated as a gift for probable meeting with President Rouhani in New York. That how this decision and removal of Bolton had its positive impacts on financial markets and at the same time it is considered as a move for détente is another important point and it can be analyzed from the angle of its impacts on domestic and international markets.

Some markets like oil market saw stability in the oil price with an optimistic prospect for reducing political tensions in the Middle East, and immediately showed its impact on the stability in the market. Of course hours later, oil prices bounced back a little. On the U.S. domestic front, some believed that Bolton’s dismissal would boost the pace of forex rate and it became a ground for strengthening stock markets especially for auto industry. That this Trump’s decision and Bolton’s dismissal could lead to a probable meeting between him and Mr. Rouhani and thaw in Tehran-Washington relation is another important issue, and most analysts believe that this can be an explicit signal in change in relations between both countries. If we have a look at recent developments, we can see the White House has started to retreat from its demands from Iran and in return, Iran’s reaction is very crucial.

If Mr. Rouhani has reached a political maturation, he will announce that he would not travel to New York and instead, he would dispatch Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif or his deputy Mr. Seyed Abbas Araqchi to the UN General Assembly meeting and it will pave the ground for getting more concessions from the White House and Mr. Trump.

Mr. Rouhani and his diplomatic team should know that today Iran has upper hand and this upper hand in the prudence and hope government’s demands, although it has showed neither prudence nor hope, should push Mr. Trump back to the JCPOA and if we change this upper hand with just a childish and unwise meeting in New York, we would concede totally a definite win to the rival.

By: Hamid Reza Naghashian

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The ninth round of talks between the United States and the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha entered its eighth day on Thursday.

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