Bolton Points to Iran and China as Reasons for US Withdrawal from Missile Treaty with Russia

German news agency reported from Moscow on Tuesday that Donald Trump's National Security Advisor mentioned Iran and China as reasons for the United States' decision to withdraw from its nuclear treaty with Russia during talks with Russian officials. John Bolton emphasized that Iran, China, and North Korea are pursuing intermediate-range ballistic missiles, but the US is constrained in this regard due to its treaty with Moscow. Bolton visited Moscow on Monday, October 30, just two days after Donald Trump announced the US would exit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia. Hours before his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Interfax that Bolton is expected to "professionally explain the exact meaning" of Trump's announcement regarding the withdrawal from the treaty. Ryabkov described Washington's unilateral exit from the agreement as "very dangerous" and stated that it would lead to retaliatory "military-technical" actions. The German news agency, citing an interview with Bolton on a Russian radio, reported that he referred to Iran, China, and North Korea as factors that have constrained the US in this area. Bolton pointed to the Islamic Republic, stating that Tehran "is still pursuing portable nuclear weapons... In our view, they continue to manage the global bank of international terrorism." The US National Security Advisor had previously referred to the term "global bank of terrorism" on Thursday, October 4, stating that Iran has been the "central bank of the world for international terrorism" since the 1979 revolution. On Tuesday, Bolton also noted that "many of our friends and allies are exposed to China's ballistic capabilities." This treaty, signed in 1987 between then-President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, was implemented a year later. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional cruise missiles and their launchers with ranges between 500 to 1,000 kilometers, and intermediate ranges between 1,000 to 5,500 kilometers. However, US officials have long claimed that Russia has been developing and producing these missiles, openly accusing Moscow of this in 2014. Russia has repeatedly denied these allegations while stating that parts of the US missile defense system in European countries are contrary to and violate this treaty. On Tuesday, Bolton also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who emphasized "joint efforts" to resolve global issues, while Bolton stressed the need to "deepen and strengthen" dialogue between the US and Russia. French news agency reported that Bolton is expected to meet with the Russian President later on Tuesday.