Former US president Barack Obama has strongly criticised President Donald Trump for the decision to start a war against Iran, saying his administration had stopped Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons through the nuclear deal without having to fire a single missile.
Speaking at a campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, Barack Obama said Iran did not have nuclear weapons because he had made a deal that everyone agreed would stop Iran from building them.
He said: ‘I didn’t have to fire a single missile; I just took the path of diplomacy.’
Referring to Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and his starting of the war against Iran, Obama said: ‘He withdrew from the deal and started this war. Now seven months have passed, and it has been six months since he declared victory. So how is this war going?’
The former US president added: ‘America’s allies and military bases have been targeted, American citizens have been killed, hundreds have been injured, and America’s missile stockpiles have also fallen.’
Obama said: ‘Iran now effectively has a “veto” over oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.’ According to him, this situation has raised the prices of oil, diesel and other goods in the United States.
In another part of his speech, Obama also criticised US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and accused the Trump administration of being caught up in trivial matters instead of seriously addressing the country’s important problems.
The speech was part of the Democratic Party’s campaign ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November.
