John Bolton has said he is at risk of attack by Iran after Donald Trump removed his Secret Service protection within hours of taking office.

The former national security adviser, who has become a vocal critic of the president since leaving his first administration in 2019, said the “inescapable conclusion” was that he would now be targeted by hostile states.

Mr Bolton told The Telegraph that he was given just 12 hours’ notice before his Secret Service detail was terminated by Mr Trump.

The 76-year-old diplomat is a longstanding hawk on Iran, and has been targeted by the regime since leaving office. In 2022, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was charged with a plot to murder him.

Mr Bolton said he was told by officials “as recently as a few days ago” that the threat against his life remained high.

Mr Trump directed the Secret Service to stop the protection hours after taking office on Monday.

Mr Bolton told The Telegraph there was “no other conclusion” to be drawn from the decision other than that it was an act of political vengeance.

“They called me at about 11.30pm last night, and I was asleep,” he said.

“I don’t remember the exact words, but it was something like: ‘The President has directed that your protection be terminated at noon tomorrow.’”

Mr Bolton is making arrangements to pay for his own security after the taxpayer-funded team was removed.

Asked whether he was now at greater risk of attack by Iranian agents, he replied: “I think that’s the almost inescapable conclusion. As I say, I’m putting measures in place.”

During the election campaign, Mr Bolton spoke out against a second Trump presidency, writing in a book last year that he was “unfit” to hold the office.

“If his first four years were bad, a second four will be worse,” he wrote.