Barack Obama: the war with the Islamic Republic was unnecessary and made Tehran stronger

Barack Obama, the former US president, called America's war with the Islamic Republic unnecessary and blamed Donald Trump for rising fuel and consumer prices at a Democratic rally in Ohio on Saturday, 24 October 2026, his first appearance in the campaign for the congressional midterm elections.

In a speech of about 40 minutes, Obama said the original justification for the war was to force the Islamic Republic to give up its nuclear programme, while, in his view, the JCPOA nuclear deal of his presidency had blocked the regime's path to a bomb without a single missile strike. He criticised Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA and said that after seven months of war, America's allies and bases have been targeted, Americans have been killed and hundreds wounded, and US missile stocks have been depleted. Obama also said the Islamic Republic now effectively controls the Strait of Hormuz and that its strategic position is stronger than before the war.

Donald Trump's response

Donald Trump responded that Obama and Bill Clinton criticise him because the Republicans defeated them, and called Obama a very bad president. The White House also said the president is focused on rooting out corruption and that his decisions serve the interests of the American people. Democrats hold the Republicans responsible for rising prices and count tariffs and the war with the Islamic Republic among the causes.

The JCPOA and the background of the debate

Obama's remarks come as the JCPOA, by suspending sanctions in 2015, returned billions in frozen assets to the Islamic Republic, and its critics, including many opponents of the Islamic Republic, say those funds went to the IRGC and proxy groups instead of the people of Iran. In recent weeks Trump has repeatedly said he will either finish the Islamic Republic off or Tehran will accept a deal, and the option of a new strike is on his table. At the same time, the US travel warning for six Middle Eastern countries has been updated.

The US midterm elections take place in less than two weeks, and the war with the Islamic Republic and the price of fuel have become one of the main issues in the contest between the two parties.

The war with the Islamic Republic has become a central issue in the contest between Democrats and Republicans on the eve of the US midterm elections.