U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. ambassadors in the White House in Washington, DC, March 25, 2025. (Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to oust his national security adviser, Michael Waltz, was the product of a "slow accumulation of frustration with a former Green Beret officer who was seen as far more eager to use military force than his boss in the Oval Office," the Washington Post reported on Saturday.
On Thursday, Trump dismissed Waltz and appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim successor, marking the first significant shakeup of his inner circle since taking office in January. In a social media post, Trump announced his intention to nominate Waltz as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Waltz faced criticism in March after mistakenly adding a journalist to a Signal group chat that included other top national security officials, where they were discussing a U.S. strike in Yemen.
According to a report by the Washington Post, Waltz fell out of favor with Trump over his hawkish stance against Iran. The American daily reported that Waltz had coordinated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the use of military options against Iran without the President's knowledge ahead of the Israeli leader's U.S. visit in February.
During the visit, the two seemed to be closely aligned over the issue, which, according to the newspaper's sources, angered Trump. The Washington Post added that Waltz actively worked to shift U.S. policy towards striking Iran, which the President was not happy with once he found out.
The U.S. and Iran began talks over Tehran's nuclear program on April 12 under Omani mediation. Trump withdrew the U.S. from a prior nuclear agreement with Iran in 2018, repeatedly claiming he would negotiate a "better" deal.
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
