Former US President Barack Obama has said any new nuclear agreement with Iran is likely to resemble the 2015 deal reached during his administration and later abandoned by President Donald Trump.
Speaking in an interview, Obama said a renewed agreement would probably not differ significantly from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had placed limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.
According to international media reports, US and Iranian officials said they had reached an understanding to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that has faced major disruption since fighting began in February.
President Donald Trump said final terms of the agreement had been approved “in both concept and great detail”. He also said he had cancelled a planned third night of air strikes on Iran.
Obama said he did not expect a major improvement on the 2015 deal.
“It is doubtful that any agreement that arises is going to be significantly different or a significant improvement from the deal that we had in the first place,” he said.
He said the original JCPOA had worked for several years by restricting Iran’s nuclear activity before the US withdrew from it.
Obama also urged diplomacy over military action, saying wars rarely produce lasting solutions.
“I’m hopeful that bombing stops and ordinary people are no longer suffering as a consequence of the war,” he said.
He added that governments should accept agreements that solve most problems even if they do not resolve every issue.
Trump has strongly criticised the JCPOA in recent weeks, saying it could have allowed Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
In a post on social media, Trump called the Obama-era deal a pathway to a nuclear weapon for Iran. He said his own agreement would fully prevent Tehran from acquiring one.
The new agreement remains a framework and not a final treaty, but marks a major step towards ending a conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted global energy supplies. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
