US may be 'worse off' under Trump-brokered MoU with Iran, Obama, US officials warn - report

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has warned that the recent Washington-Tehran Memorandum of Understanding, brokered by the Trump administration, may leave the United States in a worse position than before the recent conflict with Iran.

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We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. It feels like we’re back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off.

In an interview with NBC News, Obama stated that the U.S. has "fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military," only to find itself "back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off." While expressing hope for the ceasefire, he criticized the current administration for withdrawing from the Obama-era deal, which he asserted had prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He noted that Iran has since increased its nuclear capacity.

Obama's critique echoes concerns from other former White House officials. Former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, who served under Trump from 2019 to 2021, described the new agreement as "too generous" to Iran in a separate interview with CNN.

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Iran had agreed not to develop nuclear weapons. This administration, or a prior version of this administration, pulled out of it, which caused then Iran to develop more nuclear capacity.

Brouillette highlighted that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, intended to curb oil exports, had been effective in pressuring Tehran. However, he expressed concern that the new deal grants Iran certain advantages upfront, including the immediate restart of oil exports. Brouillette estimated this could generate up to $60 billion annually for Iran.

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the agreement is “a little too generous” when it comes to giving Iran “certain things up front,” like the ability to immediately restart the export of oil.

Furthermore, Brouillette voiced apprehension about Iran using these financial resources to fund proxy terrorist organizations that threaten regional stability and the United States. "We’re going to have to keep an eye on that," he asserted, adding that "if they return to funding proxies around the world again, I say all bets are off."

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We’re going to have to keep an eye on that. If they return to funding proxies around the world again, I say all bets are off.