Former US President Barack Obama has accused Donald Trump of starting an unnecessary war with Iran, saying the conflict has failed to achieve its stated objectives and strengthened Tehran’s strategic position.
Speaking at an election rally in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, 24 October, Obama said nobody wanted the war and that Americans had not voted for it. He criticised Trump’s decision to launch the conflict, describing it as a major mistake by the current US president.
Obama also defended the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, negotiated during his presidency. He said the agreement had placed limits on Iran’s nuclear programme without the use of military force. Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018.
The former president said the war had put US allies and military bases at risk, with American service personnel killed and hundreds more injured. He also argued that the conflict had depleted US missile stockpiles and strengthened Iran’s ability to exert pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
Obama criticised the economic consequences of the conflict, linking the war to rising oil and diesel prices and increased living costs in the United States. However, claims about the extent of the depletion of US missile stockpiles have not been independently verified in this report.
His remarks came as Democrats campaign ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November. Obama has been supporting Democratic candidates while criticising the Trump administration’s foreign and domestic policies.
