House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is slamming President Donald Trump for what he calls a reckless departure from the “smart diplomacy” of the Obama era, specifically criticizing Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal and launch attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
During an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Jeffries pointed to the controversial Obama administration strategy, which he called “successful,” that included sending pallets of cash to Tehran as a model of diplomacy.
“We need the case to be made by the administration to the American people as to how to best accomplish the objective of preventing Iran from becoming nuclear capable,” Jeffries said. “Why did they abandon the aggressive diplomacy that was successful under the Obama administration?”
.@RepJeffries criticizes the Trump Administration — which just took out Iran's nuclear capabilities — for abandoning Barack Obama's approach to Iran, that included sending them pallets of cash.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 29, 2025
You can't make this up. pic.twitter.com/NMOKJeiIPC
In 2016, the Obama administration acknowledged transferring $1.7 billion in cash to Iran. At the time, a Treasury spokeswoman explained that the payments were necessary due to the impact of U.S. and international sanctions, which had isolated Iran from the global financial system. The administration stated that the funds were part of a settlement of a decades-old arbitration claim between the U.S. and Iran. Earlier, an initial $400 million cash delivery was made the same day Tehran agreed to release four American prisoners.
Jeffries has strongly opposed Trump’s military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, calling the attacks “unconstitutional” because he, and other Democrats, claim that only Congress has the power to declare war. The Democrat congressman raised alarms about the Trump administration bypassing Congress, arguing that it puts American troops and national security at unnecessary risk. Jeffries also condemned Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, saying it destabilized the region and contributed to the recent escalation.
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