Washington, DC – Former US President Barack Obama downplayed the significance of the new diplomatic agreement currently being negotiated by President Donald Trump’s administration with Tehran regarding its nuclear program.
Obama indicated that he does not expect a “significant improvement” or substantial change in the terms of the anticipated agreement compared to the landmark nuclear deal his Democratic administration concluded with Iran nearly 11 years ago. This comes despite repeated media assertions from Trump that the new agreement will be far superior and stronger than the 2015 deal.
In excerpts from an exclusive interview broadcast on ABC’s “This Week” program on Sunday, Obama explained that reaching a diplomatic agreement does not necessarily fulfill all of Washington’s demands and conditions. However, it remains a far better option than sliding back into a full-blown and devastating regional war.
“It is highly doubtful that any new agreement reached will be significantly different or markedly better than the one we reached in the first place,” Obama said, in a clear reference to the 2015 nuclear agreement, from which the Trump administration unilaterally and abruptly withdrew in 2018.
Challenges of outstanding issues and the Geneva Memorandum of Understanding
The former president added that the previous agreement reached by his administration “worked effectively for a long time before the United States decided to withdraw from it.”
Obama asserted that the current setbacks and slow progress toward a new agreement between Washington and Tehran serve as a reminder that the United States cannot impose lasting political solutions through brute military force or airstrikes. Rather, it always needs to engage in comprehensive and patient diplomacy to reach genuine and lasting settlements.
These statements come after the United States and Iran reached a preliminary agreement on Sunday to end the all-out war that Washington and Tel Aviv launched against Iran on February 28, 2026. This understanding paves the way for 60 days of intensive talks to resolve outstanding and complex issues. These issues are not addressed in the “Memorandum of Understanding” scheduled to be officially signed next Friday in Geneva, Switzerland. Foremost among these is the contentious Iranian nuclear program, amidst sharp and ongoing disagreements regarding the precise timeline for lifting the crippling economic sanctions and releasing the vast sums of Iranian funds frozen in international banks.
A heated political debate between Trump and Obama
President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform on Sunday that the historic agreement with Iran was “complete and ready.” He indicated that the agreement would reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz to international shipping without fees. He also authorized the immediate lifting of the strict US naval blockade on Iranian ports, writing enthusiastically: “Ships of the world, start your engines… Let the oil flow!”
In recent weeks, Trump has consistently stirred political controversy, asserting that his current agreement is far better for the United States than Obama’s deal, which he claims handed Tehran “piles of money” totaling $1.7 billion. He has also emphasized that he will not sign any agreement that involves Washington making direct payments to Iran. Meanwhile, Tehran is demanding approximately $12 billion in the current sensitive negotiations.
