From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Trump fires Brian Hook, his Iran envoy in first term
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Donald Trump ends his first day back in the White House by unexpectedly firing Brian Hook, the former special envoy for Iran during his first term.
Trump makes the announcement on Truth Social after midnight.
It was not immediately clear which position Hook was being fired from. He had been appointed to the Wilson Center for Scholars and was reportedly leading Trump’s transition to the State Department.
It’s unclear exactly why Trump axed Hook, but the president says he and three others “are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”
Hook was a hawkish adviser who backed the maximum pressure sanctions regime Trump instituted against Iran.
“YOU’RE FIRED!” Trump writes in the Truth Social post making the announcement.
The Times of Israel Community.