UNS-Former US president questions military campaign, citing attacks on American bases, rising prices and Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz
Former US President Barack Obama has criticised President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran, describing the conflict as “unnecessary” and arguing that it has strengthened Tehran’s strategic position.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Michigan on Saturday, Obama said the war had resulted in American troop casualties, exposed US allies and military bases to attacks, and contributed to rising prices.
“The current president chose to make a series of bad decisions,” Obama said, arguing that the administration had entered a war that neither the public had demanded nor voters had authorised.
Obama also questioned the administration’s claims of victory, asking what the military campaign had achieved after seven months of conflict.
He contrasted Trump’s military approach with the nuclear diplomacy pursued by his administration, which led to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. Obama said the deal had imposed restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear programme without requiring the United States to resort to military action.
“I didn’t have to fire a missile. I engaged in diplomacy,” he said.
The former president further argued that the conflict had exposed US allies and military installations to attacks while increasing Iran’s ability to influence regional security.
He pointed in particular to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes. According to Obama, Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping through the waterway had given Tehran greater strategic leverage.
Obama’s remarks directly challenged the Trump administration’s assessment of the war, raising questions about its costs, its impact on regional stability and whether the military campaign had achieved its stated objectives.
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