First posted on Instagram
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday accused former President Barack Obama of indirectly helping Iran strengthen its military capabilities through the sanctions relief granted under the 2015 nuclear deal, saying Tehran spent the money on weapons and regional proxy groups instead of on its own people. "When Obama gave them sanctions relief, they didn't use that money to build up hospitals, roads, bridges, and universities. They used that money to build weapons and arm proxies in the region to attack us and other countries," Rubio said. The State Department posted the remarks on X on Tuesday.
The remarks came as Rubio spoke in Paris after a meeting of Group of 7 foreign ministers, where he said Iran wants an agreement with Washington but is demanding conditions he considers unacceptable, and that the two sides are not close to a breakthrough. He said several of Tehran's demands were "outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic," and that President Donald Trump would always prefer to solve the problem diplomatically, but that this is sometimes not possible.
Rubio also said the U.S. economic campaign against Iran was so devastating that there is currently no need for major combat operations, and that American forces retain the right to defend themselves if shipping or U.S. forces in the region face a clear and present threat. Trump, for his part, has said renewed strikes are "highly unlikely" if talks make progress and Iran signs a "strong agreement."
The 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was reached between Iran and six world powers, including the United States. It placed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities, with international monitoring, in exchange for relief from nuclear-related sanctions. U.S. Treasury officials estimated at the time that Iran would gain access to roughly $50 billion in usable liquid assets.
Supporters of the Obama administration argue the agreement was designed to restrict Iran's nuclear programme through inspections and diplomatic commitments, not to finance attacks on the United States, and the debate now centres on whether sanctions relief strengthened Iran's regional influence or helped contain a greater security threat. The $1.7 billion payment Trump has repeatedly cited was a separate matter: it settled a decades-old dispute over Iranian funds paid for military equipment the United States never delivered, consisting of $400 million in principal and about $1.3 billion in interest, according to congressional and Treasury documentation cited by FactCheck.org.
Rubio's criticism is not new. As a senator in September 2015, he warned on the Senate floor that sanctions relief would let Iran rebuild its conventional military capability, expand its missile programmes and intensify support for proxy groups — a warning his supporters now say has been borne out.