Former president Barack Obama warned that the agreement between the Trump administration and Iran that will bring the war to an end might leave the United States “worse off” than before.
The former president spoke to NBC’s Today Show co-host Craig Melvin at the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center and Library. Part of the center is dedicated to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement brokered by his administration to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s first administration withdrew from that deal. But some conservatives have said that the current agreement resembles the 2015 Obama deal, also known as the JCPOA.
“This administration, or a prior version of this administration, pulled out of it, which then caused Iran to develop more nuclear capacity,” Obama said.
But Obama told Melvin that while he is relieved that the fighting would cease, he worried about the future.
“I am very happy to see a ceasefire, and I’m hopeful that it holds,” he said. At the same time, Obama questioned why the war was fought to begin with.
“But in terms of what was the original rationale for this war, which was there was a deal in place in which Iran had agreed not to develop nuclear weapons, this administration, or prior version of this administration pulled out of it, which caused then Iran to develop more nuclear capacity,” he said.
“We've now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, put enormous strain on our military,” he said. “A lot of people have died, and it feels like we're back where we were before we start the war, except maybe a little bit worse.”
Throughout Obama’s presidency between 2009 and 2017, he repeatedly clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the question of Iran.
During negotiations between Obama and Iran, Netanyahu delivered a joint address to Congress to denounce the JCPOA.
In the same respect, Vice President JD Vance loudly pushed back against members of the Israeli cabinet who denounced the agreement during a press conference on Thursday.
“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in,” Vance said.
Trump also criticized Obama when speaking about his agreement with Iran compared with the 44th president’s.
“He tried to bribe his way out. I didn't do that. Nobody mentions that,” Trump said.
“They laughed at Obama,” Trump added. “And they said, 'He's a stupid son of a b****.””
Obama’s presidential center opened this Thursday and all former presidents, including Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush attended. Trump did not attend the event.
