Shortly after President Donald Trump formally announced the decision to withdraw the US from the Iran deal on Tuesday, former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement denouncing the move as “so misguided,” adding that it could jeopardize the country’s credibility globally and risks destroying the goal of limiting Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“Walking away from the JCPOA turns our back on America’s closest allies, and an agreement that our country’s leading diplomats, scientists, and intelligence professionals negotiated,” Obama said in the statement. “In a democracy, there will always be changes in policies and priorities from one Administration to the next. But the consistent flouting of agreements that our country is a party to risks eroding America’s credibility, and puts us at odds with the world’s major powers.”
The former president continued his criticism of the move by outlining several points concerning the historic agreement—generally considered to be the signature foreign policy achievement of his administration—many of which contradicted Trump’s frequent attacks against the deal. Similar to his previous statements condemning the actions and policies of the Trump administration, Obama’s statement did not directly mention Trump by name.
