Former US President Barack Obama has stated that after 15 weeks of conflict with Iran, the United States is now "worse off" than before the war began in February. In an interview with NBC News aired on Friday, Obama remarked, "We've now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we're back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off."
Obama on the US-Iran Ceasefire
Speaking before the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the former president commented on the memorandum of understanding signed by Donald Trump in Paris earlier this week. "I am very happy to see a ceasefire," Obama said. "And I'm hopeful that it holds." He has been critical of the rationale for the conflict and questioned the first Trump administration's decision to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was negotiated by his administration. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Obama noted that Trump's withdrawal led Iran to develop more nuclear capacity.
Vance Delays Nuclear Talks
Obama's remarks come as the White House announced that Vice President JD Vance delayed a planned trip to Switzerland to lead new talks with Iran focusing on nuclear issues. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on Friday that future talks must respect Tehran's "red lines," likely referring to a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of any agreement. "If the enemy becomes excessive [in its demands], we have proven that we are ready to retaliate and will not hesitate to deliver a stinging response," Ghalibaf said, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.
Trump Administration's View
Trump signed the memorandum during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night. Vance touted the agreement on Thursday, saying, "The peace plan is already bearing fruit for America, as gas prices fall. Iran's nuclear program is destroyed, their conventional military is destroyed and their capacity to threaten their neighbors is still largely gone." He asked for "a little bit of faith" in Trump over the agreement and emphasized that if Iran fails to comply, the US retains all leverage tools.
Oil Prices May Rise
However, some energy executives believe demand for oil to restore strategic reserves depleted during the conflict could push global oil prices higher. Neil Chapman, a senior vice-president at Exxon, warned that physical oil prices could rise to $150 or $160 per barrel if oil stocks hit critical levels. "You can debate whether that's going to hit those really low levels in two weeks or three weeks. But once you get to that point, then you'll see prices shoot up," he said at a conference in New York, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Obama's Hope for His Presidential Center
In his interview with NBC's Today, Obama expressed hope that his new presidential center would serve as a reminder of the US under his leadership. "There's no doubt that we are going through a period right now of disruption, polarization," he said. He acknowledged that people may feel democracy and civic habits are crumbling but stressed the importance of holding elected officials accountable. "And that's not something that I think we can afford to suggest is behind us," he added.
