Trump’s Iran war has made US less safe than before, says Obama

WASHINGTON: Former United States president Barack Obama has criticised President Donald Trump’s justification for starting a war against Iran. He said Iran did not have nuclear weapons and its nuclear programme could have been limited through diplomacy.

He referred to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, reached during his presidency. He said the deal had helped to place curbs on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Obama said he had chosen the path of diplomacy instead of firing missiles.

He also voiced concern over the effects of the war on Iran. He said that as a result of the war, United States allies and military bases had come under attack, while a number of Americans had been killed and hundreds wounded.

According to Obama, the United States’ stockpiles of missiles have also shrunk during the war, leaving the country less safe than before.

He also claimed that Iran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz had grown and that it now had veto-like power over matters concerning the key waterway.

Barack Obama described the situation in the Strait of Hormuz as one of the reasons for the rise in oil prices. The strait is a key route for global oil shipments, so tension there can affect world energy markets.