US President Donald Trump has blamed his predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama, claiming that Iran would already possess nuclear weapons if it had not withdrawn the United States from the nuclear deal negotiated during the Obama administration.
Trump was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, widely known as the Iran nuclear deal, from which he withdrew in 2018 during his first term.
Speaking to Truth Social, Trump argued that keeping the deal in place would have allowed Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon years ago. He described the agreement as one of the most dangerous ever signed by the United States and insisted that the global situation would be very different today if it had remained intact. In office, he placed responsibility squarely on Obama and Biden.
Trump said he was proud of his decision to leave the deal and reiterated his belief that Iran would have developed nuclear weapons within three years if the deal had continued. He also stated that such weapons could have been used, adding that he would not allow that scenario to play out.
“If I hadn’t ended Obama’s horrendous Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), Iran would have had a nuclear weapon three years ago. That was the most dangerous transaction we’ve ever made, and if it had been allowed to stand, the world would be a completely different place right now. You can blame Barack Hussein Obama and Sleepy Joe Biden,” he posted on X.
“Iran could have hit Europe”
Beyond the nuclear issue, Trump pointed to Iran’s growing missile capabilities. He said the country’s existing missiles were already capable of reaching Europe and US military bases abroad, and warned that Tehran could eventually build long-range systems capable of attacking the United States.
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He further maintained that Iran’s conventional ballistic missile program had been advancing rapidly, calling it a major threat to American interests and forces stationed abroad. According to Trump, the missile program served as a cover for Iran’s nuclear ambitions, making it much more difficult to stop any potential weapons development.
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He argued that an Iran with nuclear weapons and long-range missiles would represent an unacceptable danger not only to the Middle East but also directly to the United States. He added that, in his opinion, the country had come close to facing such a threat.
Joint Israel-United States attack
Trump’s comments come amid escalating tensions following coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28 against multiple sites across Iran, including military command centers, air defense systems and missile facilities.
The strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, along with four senior military and security officials. Large explosions were reported in Tehran and other major cities.
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In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones against assets linked to the United States and regional allies, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The exchange has further escalated the crisis in the Middle East, increasing risks for civilians and expatriate communities across the region.
Netanyahu justifies attacking first
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he coordinated with U.S. President Donald Trump to launch strikes against Iran, arguing that Ayatollah Khamenei’s leadership was advancing what he described as an irreversible push toward nuclear weapons capability.
Netanyahu said Iran had accelerated the development of new nuclear facilities, including bunkers that would soon have been out of reach of the US and Israeli militaries. He argued that this narrowing window left no option but to act quickly.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu alleged that Tehran had begun building additional sites designed to protect both its ballistic missile network and its nuclear activities. He claimed that these bunkers were being built in a way that would make them effectively impervious to attack within months, prompting what he described as urgent action.
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Military offensive will end soon, says Netanyahu
Netanyahu denied dragging the US into an “endless war” against Iran and said the military offensive will end soon.
“I hear people say there will be an endless war here. There won’t be an endless war because… this terrorist regime in Iran is at its weakest point” since its founding, Netanyahu told Fox News in an interview. “This is going to be a quick and decisive action,” he asserted.
Rubio says Netanyahu’s determination to act forced US to act
Meanwhile, Trump has maintained that the US military offensive against Iran, codenamed ‘Operation Epic Fury’, could last up to four weeks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington went ahead with pre-emptive strikes after concluding that Israel was willing to attack Iran and that US forces would inevitably face retaliation.
President Trump will not drag the United States into a years-long conflict without a clear objective.
Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. That is the goal of this operation and President Trump will see it through to completion. pic.twitter.com/Spi2Mcke6F
-JD Vance (@JDVance) March 3, 2026
Offering a new account of the administration’s sudden decision to join the conflict, Rubio argued that once it became clear that Israel would act, Iranian retaliation against US troops was almost certain. That assessment, he said, forced the United States to strike first.
The explanation came as senior officials briefed members of Congress for the first time since President Donald Trump authorized air operations over the weekend. Lawmakers received the update behind closed doors at the U.S. Capitol ahead of an expected House vote on a war powers resolution that could, in theory, pressure the president to halt military action against Iran.
