Trump ridicules Obama over Iran cash payment at Michigan rally: 'He thought he could bribe them'

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: President Donald Trump used a rally in Michigan to mock former President Barack Obama's handling of Iran, telling a cheering crowd that Obama's attempt to improve relations with Tehran through cash payments had backfired.

Trump argued that the payment, tied to a 2016 settlement over a decades-old failed arms deal from before the Iranian Revolution, emboldened Tehran rather than easing tensions. 

Trump mocks Obama's Iran cash payment

"They were the bully of the Middle East and they were the bully of us," Trump said.

"And Obama came along and gave them tens of billions of dollars. He gave them $1.7 billion in green cash. Remember that? Put them on a Boeing 757, flew it to Tehran. $1.7 billion in green."

"He thought he could bribe them, and instead they thought, what a stupid country this is," Trump said. "How stupid?"

Trump then pivoted to his own approach, arguing that military pressure, rather than payouts, is the only language Iran understands.

"No, you can't bribe them. You've got to beat them, and we're beating the hell out of them," he said, drawing loud cheers and applause from the crowd.

The remarks capped a broader comparison between his administration's approach to Iran and what he described as the Obama administration's policy of appeasement, a theme Trump has frequently revisited throughout the ongoing conflict with Tehran.

Trump signals openness to Iran negotiations

Despite the combative rhetoric, Trump concluded the segment by acknowledging that diplomatic talks with Iran are currently underway. "But we'll see how it turns out," he said.

"Right now, they have very friendly negotiations going on."

The remarks align with recent reports suggesting that ceasefire talks between the US and Iran have made "significant" progress in recent days, even as fighting between the two countries has continued intermittently for months.

Trump has repeatedly referenced the cash payment to Iran in campaign speeches over the years, making it a recurring point of criticism in US-Iran relations.

Since withdrawing from the Obama-era nuclear deal during his first term, he has argued that the payment was evidence that diplomatic engagement with Tehran produces poor outcomes.

Both Iranian officials and members of the Obama administration have previously said the payment consisted of funds owed to Iran under the arms deal settlement, which was negotiated separately from the nuclear agreement.

However, the image of cash being airlifted to Tehran has remained a frequent talking point for Trump and other Republican critics.

Trump's remarks in Michigan add to a growing number of campaign appearances this year in which he has combined aggressive rhetoric toward Iran with suggestions that a negotiated settlement remains possible.