'Tormented by jealousy': John Harwood slams Trump's criticism of Obama's 2015 Nuclear deal

President Donald Trump on Wednesday fiercely defended his deal with Iran, lashing out at critics who compared it to the one that former President Barack Obama negotiated in 2015. Trump, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding at the Palace of Versailles in France, said Iranians laughed at Obama back in 2015, and threatened to bomb Iran again if it doesn’t adhere to the agreement. However, as the details of the agreement were released, the deal has drawn bipartisan criticism, with journalist and political commentator John Harwood chalking Trump's comments on Obama to "jealousy." 

After signing the agreement, Trump appeared at the Group of 7 summit of global leaders in Évian-les-Bains, where he took questions from reporters. When asked about the $300 billion reconstruction fund, Trump lashed out, denying that the U.S. was paying Iran to agree to the recently negotiated peace deal. He went on an expletive-laden rant, claiming that his deal was better than that of Obama. "And you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama, and they said, 'He's a stupid son of a b***h,'"" he said.

However, his defense hasn't worked back at home as several Democrats slammed the deal and a handful of Republicans expressed concerns over providing funds to Tehran. Sharing a clip of Trump's rant on X, Harwood wrote, "Trump is tormented by jealousy of a superior human being," referring to Obama, who signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which critics argue was far more detailed than Trump's 14-point MoU. 

Following the release of the MoU text, a spokesperson for Obama told the New York Times that the former president would not be commenting on Wednesday, but referred to his remarks from an interview with ABC's 'Good Morning America' over the weekend. In the video, Obama said he believed a new deal won't be "significantly different or a significant improvement" from the one his administration negotiated, and that it was a reminder that the U.S can't "bully our way or bomb our way to solutions."

Trump, who long criticized Obama for sending "Iran pallets of cash" under his deal, argued that under this deal, "they'll have to get based on merit and it won't be from us." However, the MoU outlines a $300 billon plan for Iran's reconstruction and at least a temporary lifting of sanctions and restrictions on the country's oil exports, possibly providing Tehran more monetary benefits than the 2015 deal. 

The MoU says the U.S. will work with regional partners to "develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran." The fund will go into effect once a final deal is reached within 60 days, and Trump has left open the possibility of the Persian Gulf states providing the money for the fund. "We don't have to give them anything. But some people may want to invest." A diplomat told the Times that commitments of about half of the $300 billion figure have already been made, including from companies in the U.S, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and Africa.

Furthermore, Iran's nuclear program, which has been the central agenda for the U.S., has been left open to discussion during a 60-day negotiation period under the current deal. While both agreements put a ban on Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the JCPOA was far more specific about how the nuclear programme would be handled. The JCPOA put monitoring protocols in place and put limits on the uranium enrichment levels. The new MoU says the mechanics of handling Iran's uranium will be decided over the next 60 days, but it suggests Iran will face some limits.