'He wants out of this problem': Former Trump national security adviser claims president is 'desperate' to strike peace with Iran

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John Bolton, a former ally of the US President, said on Tonight with Andrew Marr that he doesn't think his former boss has a plan to bring a peace resolution with Tehran.

Earlier this week, Trump claimed the existing ceasefire was on "life support" as the two nations continue to disagree over the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively shut.

Mr Bolton told Andrew: "He desperately wants to [declare peace].

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"He wants out of this problem, [but] he didn't think it through. I could spend a long time telling you what I think he's done wrong on it, but it's very clear he wants to end it.

"On the other hand, he also knows if he makes a bad deal or declares victory on a premise that's laughably untrue, like it doesn't matter who controls the straight or four moves, he can't do that either.

"So he's caught between two very hard choices and I think he's very frustrated at the moment. I don't think he has a plan."

After Washington offered a proposal aimed at ‌reopening negotiations, Iran proposed its own peace plan to which Trump at the end of last week, claimed he didn't finish reading and called it a "piece of garbage".

In the plans, Tehran called for compensation for war damage and emphasised sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

The shipping lane, which is a major route for oil and gas supplies, has effectively been closed as a result of the conflict and stand-off, sending energy prices soaring and hammering the global economy.

But Mr Bolton, who eventually fell out with Trump over foreign policy, claimed the US could still force a reopening of the strait without conceding a victory to Iran.

He continued: "I don't agree with the proposition that we can't open the strait. I think we can and I think we should.

"I think it's important not to allow Iran to get this victory without cost and I think if we could open the strait, keep the blockade on Iran, but open the strait for Arab oil to come out.

"We would have a significant positive impact on the world economy. Now, whether Trump's going to do that or not, I don't know.

"I don't underestimate how difficult it is, but I think it's necessary to do."

He added: "I think the loss of production from the Gulf is obviously a major impact on the world economy generally. It's why you cannot allow it to persist.

"What Iran is doing is a gross violation of international law. This is an international waterway, there should be free maritime passage, the right of innocent passage.

"Those who care about international law should be demanding something of Iran, not negotiating with them. I think Trump will have to do something because otherwise he will have done what Winston Churchill said of Anthony Eden in the Suez canal crisis of 1956.

"Churchill said, I shouldn't have dared to do it, but if I had done it, I shouldn't have dared to stop."

Trump is currently on the second day of his visit to China, where he was greeted with a gun salute and military parade outside Beijing's Great Hall of the People in a glitzy welcoming.

Trump told the Chinese President that he wanted to open up China and rebalance the trade relationship, describing it as "an honour" to be meeting his counterpart on his two-day tour of the Asian powerhouse.