Obama and Trump clash over Iran war and rising costs at rival rallies

Former US President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump traded attacks at separate campaign rallies on Wednesday, with the Iran war, tariffs and household costs dominating their remarks. Obama addressed supporters in Atlanta, Georgia, while Trump campaigned in Chillicothe, Ohio, five days before the midterm elections.

Obama argued that Trump had endangered Americans by starting an unnecessary war with Iran and depleting US missile supplies. US media have reported shortages, particularly of Patriot interceptors. Obama also blamed Iran's control over passage through the Strait of Hormuz for higher oil, diesel and consumer prices, saying the conflict remained unresolved despite the administration's earlier assurances.

The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials in strikes targeting Tehran and nuclear and military sites. Iran retaliated against US military assets across the region and closed the strait, a route for roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. An April ceasefire and a June memorandum of understanding subsequently collapsed, with negotiations stalled over nuclear activity, sanctions and reopening the waterway.

Trump defended the campaign and attacked the nuclear agreement negotiated under Obama in 2015. That agreement restricted Iran's uranium enrichment and stockpiles and permitted international inspections. Trump withdrew the United States in 2018. On Wednesday, he claimed subsequent military operations had destroyed Iran's enrichment capacity and much of its military, including 159 naval vessels. He also claimed oil shipments through Hormuz had increased and suggested naming the strait after himself.

On trade, Obama said tariffs introduced after Trump took office in early 2025 had raised consumer costs without delivering promised economic benefits. He cited US debt of $40 trillion and criticised the dispute with Canada. Trump has announced 50 percent tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts beginning in January 2027. Canada announced matching duties after negotiations broke down in August. Obama also accused the administration of alienating allies while accommodating Russia at Ukraine's expense.

The two men renewed their dispute over White House renovations. Obama revisited his joke comparing Trump's gold decorations to a Cheesecake Factory opened by Saddam Hussein, arguing that the president was preoccupied with decorating while Americans faced war and rising prices. Trump said the building had needed repairs, claimed he had paid for the work himself and defended its appearance. He also mocked Obama's campaigning for Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.

Obama ended by arguing that the election involved moral choices as well as economic policy. He said dishonesty, bullying and cheating among senior leaders were undermining efforts to improve the country. Drawing on a 1954 sermon by Martin Luther King Jr, he urged a return to neglected values.

In Ohio, a protester prompted Trump to discuss his former friend Jeffrey Epstein. Trump repeated his claim that he had expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago about two decades earlier and accused Democrats of exploiting the controversy. He also alleged, without evidence, that protesters were paid to disrupt his rallies.

Trump said Venezuela had supplied one million barrels of oil free of charge. The shipment reached Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, nearly 10 months after US forces abducted President Nicolas Maduro on January 3 and took him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Washington has since worked with the interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez to expand access to Venezuelan oil.

Trump also defended Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over an advertisement featuring Democratic opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother. The advertisement drew backlash because of Acton's childhood abuse. Trump argued that Ramaswamy had been treated unfairly and accused the media of applying different standards because he was a Republican.