Obama slams Trump’s Iran war for driving up cost of ‘just about everything’
Former US President Barack Obama has criticised Trump’s war on Iran, saying it is “the reason why the price of just about everything is up”.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Ohio ahead of the US midterm elections, Obama said: “Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons because I had put a deal in place that everybody acknowledged kept them from getting nukes. And I didn’t have to fire a missile to do it. I just had to engage in diplomacy.”
“Iran now has veto power over the Strait of Hormuz, where oil goes through to the world market,” the former president said.
“This is the reason why the price of oil is up. This is the reason why the price of diesel is up. This is the reason why the price of just about everything is up.”
Under the 2015 Obama deal with Iran, officially called the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to restrict the enrichment of uranium and subject itself to inspections in exchange for the relaxation of sanctions. Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, during his first term.
Israel places nearly half a million Palestinians under lockdown
Hebron’s Farsh al-Hawa area is unrecognisable after extensive Israeli demolitions. It is an ominous scene for what might await the rest of Hebron, where nearly half a million Palestinians are now under Israeli lockdown and attack.
More than 200 families were forced to leave their homes in the dead of night, not knowing when they could return.
Israeli soldiers have moved into some of the homes they have occupied by force, turning them into military outposts.
The Hebron municipality has set up temporary shelters, but no one knows how long this ordeal will last. The Palestinian Ministry of Education has issued a special advisory to schools in Hebron: Keep children at home for the coming two days.
The movement of Palestinians has been severely restricted across the occupied West Bank. Hundreds of Israeli military checkpoints separate Palestinian communities from one another. They can be open one minute and then closed without warning. In such an unpredictable setting, many Palestinians are choosing to stay away from the roads if they can.
On average, Palestinians lose up to 77 hours every year at Israeli military checkpoints inside the occupied West Bank, creating restrictions that choke the economy and basic services.
With escalating Israeli settler and military attacks, these hours of helpless frustration are likely to increase.
WATCH: Severe hunger stalks people in Gaza as bakeries close down
Bakeries across Gaza are struggling to find flour to make bread for people desperate for food. As families queue for dwindling supplies, aid agencies are unable to provide the basics due to a lack of funds.
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has warned that famine is a real risk.
A recap of recent developments
- Trump has hinted that Washington is considering a possible military strike against Iran as early as Sunday, saying the US may need to “finish the job” or potentially reach a deal with Tehran.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accuses the US of collapsing interim negotiations, describing the Americans as “cowards” who “messed everything up”, while insisting that Tehran must continue striving to reach an agreement.
- Saudi Arabia says that debris from intercepted Houthi missiles has landed in Mecca, Jeddah, Taif, and Rabigh, as Yemen’s government says the Iran-backed group has attacked the city of Aden.
- The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council condemns “heinous” Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia after Riyadh reported intercepted missile debris falling across its cities.
- Yemen’s government forces say they have conducted more than 700 operations against Houthi targets in the past 24 hours, claiming to have killed more than 300 fighters.
- The Israeli military carries out large-scale operations across 40 villages in Hebron and the occupied West Bank, conducting more than 400 searches and arresting at least 40 people.
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Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran.
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