Obama says Trump started an ‘unnecessary’ war with Iran and blames it for higher costs, U.S. casualties and depleted missile stocks

Former U.S. President Barack Obama accused Donald Trump of starting an unnecessary war with Iran and said the conflict had driven up costs while exposing Americans and U.S. allies to attacks.

Speaking Saturday at a Democratic campaign rally in Cleveland with Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Obama said Trump had made decisions that were “directly responsible” for higher prices.

“He decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody voted for,” Obama said.

Obama rejected the administration’s original argument that military action was needed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He pointed to the 2015 nuclear agreement reached during his presidency, saying Iran did not have a nuclear weapon and that his administration had constrained its nuclear program “without firing a missile.”

He then challenged Trump’s record seven months into the conflict, citing attacks on U.S. allies and bases, American deaths and injuries, pressure on missile inventories and higher oil prices.

“Six months after they declared victory, how’s that war going?” Obama asked.

The rally was part of Obama’s push to boost Democratic turnout ahead of the November 3 midterms. He urged supporters not to boo Republicans but to vote, repeating one of his longtime campaign lines: “They don’t hear you boo, but they hear you vote.”

Obama told the crowd he believed the Ohio races felt different from a typical election and said voters appeared increasingly eager for political change.