President Donald Trump has sharply criticized former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in a national address, accusing the previous administration of attempting to “buy” Tehran’s loyalty with a $400 million cash payment.
In a strongly worded speech to the nation, President Trump condemned the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), widely known as the Iran nuclear deal, arguing that it emboldened Tehran rather than restraining it. He cited a $400 million cash payment the Obama administration sent to Iran as part of a settlement over a decades-old financial dispute, framing the move as an attempt to “buy their respect and loyalty.”
Trump claimed the gesture failed to win meaningful concessions from Iran and instead projected weakness on the world stage. “They laughed at our president and went on with their mission to have a nuclear bomb,” Trump said, portraying Iranian leaders as having taken advantage of what he described as a naive and lenient U.S. policy.
The president said his administration is now “correcting” what he called the “mistakes” of previous presidents, singling out Obama’s approach as particularly dangerous. He highlighted tougher sanctions and a more confrontational stance toward Tehran as evidence of his commitment to reversing course.
Trump’s remarks are likely to deepen the longstanding political divide in Washington over how best to handle Iran. Supporters of the 2015 deal argue it placed verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear program and reduced the risk of conflict, while critics, like Trump, insist it granted Iran economic relief without permanently blocking its path to a nuclear weapon.
