According to a report by the British independent media outlet Middle East Eye on June 30th, former U.S. President Barack Obama stated in an American media program that during his tenure, the United States reached a ‘effective’ nuclear agreement with Iran. However, after spending billions of dollars on military actions, the situation has returned to its original state, and may even have become worse.
Obama said that Iran had reached an agreement with the United States to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. This agreement was recognized by the international community, including American and Israeli intelligence agencies, as “effective”. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from this agreement during his first term in office, “leading to Iran increasing its nuclear capabilities.”
Obama pointed out that the current U.S. government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in a war, resulting in many deaths. However, the reality is that “it’s as if we’ve returned to pre-war conditions, or even worse.”
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During the Obama administration, the United States reached a nuclear agreement with Iran in July 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Political and Economic Action Agreement (JCPOA). The agreement aimed to obtain international sanctions relief by restricting Iran's nuclear activities. In January of the following year, $400 million in euros, Swiss francs, and other currencies were transferred from the United States to Iran.
But Trump has always been dissatisfied with this agreement. He called Obama, who reached a nuclear deal with Iran, a “victim” and criticized the agreement for strengthening Iran’s influence, allowing it to persist for many years.
In April this year, Trump posted a statement on social media comparing the negotiations currently underway in his government to Obama’s nuclear agreement. He described the latter as “the inevitable path to nuclear weapons” and insisted that any agreement he reached would be “much better”.
However, as of July 1st, Iran and the United States are still conducting “technical-level” negotiations in Doha, the capital of Qatar. There are no plans for senior officials from both sides to have face-to-face meetings. Sources say that at least three working groups are handling technical discussions in Doha, covering issues such as nuclear matters, diplomacy, and the repatriation of funds that have been frozen.
