Obama reveals Netanyahu gave him same pitch on striking Iran as Trump
WASHINGTON, DC: Barack Obama recently made a bombshell claim, revealing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the same arguments to push him toward military action against Iran that were later used to persuade President Donald Trump.
The former president was sitting in an interview with The New Yorker, where he revealed that before he left the White House in 2017, Netanyahu repeatedly urged the United States to take a tougher line on Iran, pushing for a more aggressive approach that included the option of military strikes.
Obama’s claim came amid intensifying speculations that the Israeli prime minister has been instrumental in influencing Trump’s aggressive military actions against Iran.
However, Trump has repeatedly shot down any such claims.
Obama says his 'prognosis was accurate'
Obama reflected that he remained unconvinced that military action against Iran would have effectively addressed the threats posed by its regime.
Thus, instead of joining Israel in military strikes, he pursued a diplomatic path with Iran, which culminated in the 2015 nuclear accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The agreement placed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions, aiming to ensure its activities remained peaceful.
However, Netanyahu strongly opposed the agreement, arguing that it would not stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In 2018, when Trump first entered the White House, he pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal, reinstating sweeping sanctions on Iran and bringing US policy more closely in line with Netanyahu’s hardline stance.
Since then, tensions with Iran have risen and fallen, only to explode following the US and Israel’s joint strike on the nation in February.
“I think my prognosis was accurate,” Obama said, adding that he questions whether military action was best for the American and Israeli people.
He argued that by persuading Trump to strike Iran, Netanyahu may have “gotten what he wanted. Whether that’s what is ultimately best for the Israeli people, I would question that.”
“Whether I think it’s what is good for the United States and America, I would question that. I think there’s an ample record of my differences with Mr. Netanyahu,” he further noted.
Obama condemns ape video posted by Trump
In the same interview, the first Black POTUS strongly condemned an AI-generated video shared on Trump’s Truth Social page that appeared to depict him and his wife, Michelle Obama, as apes.
“I don’t take it personally,” he said, asserting that when someone targets his family, he does not like it.
“I’m always offended when my wife and kids get dragged into things, because they didn’t choose this…That’s a line that even people whose politics I deeply reject, I would expect them to care about,” Obama mentioned.
He then went on to claim that he would “never talk about somebody’s family in that way,” as he went on to add: “I mean, I’m a fair target in the sense of, yeah, you can feel free to pick on me, because I’m your own size.”
