The US president’s national security adviser, John Bolton, along with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are known “hawks” when it comes to Tehran, with both Trump appointees often suggesting harsh steps to “deter” an alleged Iran threat.

“I disagree very much with John Bolton. […] John Bolton is doing a very good job, but he takes a generally tough posture. I have other people that don’t take that posture, but the only one that matters is me”, Trump told reporters prior to his departure to Camp David.

Earlier, various media outlets suggested that the US president was dissatisfied with attempts by Bolton, whom Trump called a “hawk”, to draw the US into wars with Venezuela and Iran.

The New York Times reported that Bolton, alongside Pompeo and CIA Director Gina Haspel, advocated for a missile strike against Iran in response to the downing of a US drone on 20 June. Trump aborted that strike minutes before the launch, citing high estimated casualties disproportionate to the zero losses that the US sustained in the drone incident.