Trump vs Obama on Iran: From costly war to ceasefire, who got the better deal?

US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The US-Israeli coalition, which started with the premise of regime change and halting nuclear enrichment of Iran, has resulted in the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel, on the other hand, has come out as a winner and achieved the opportunity of carrying out its expansionist project in Lebanon and the West Bank.

The 39-day campaign had an estimated cost of $27 billion- $31 billion, according to Penn Wharton Budget Model, and resulted in the death of 15 US servicemen, and roughly 700 others were injured. The cost excludes the damage to the US assets in the region. It also resulted in the death of several Iranian top leaders, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 1900 Iranian civilians and tens of thousands of other were also injured. Iran retalliated with closing the Strait of Hormuz, choking the lifeblood of the US empire and sending shockwaves globally.

Trump vs Obama: Who got the better deal with Iran?

Donald Trump, the famous author of the book “Art of the Deal”, once claimed that Obama would start a war with Iran because he’s “weak and he’s ineffective,” and has “absolutely no ability to negotiate.” Obama signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. The deal imposed restrictions on Iran's civilian uranium enrichment in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. This was done without wasting a single penny and costing no civilian or military deaths.

US President Donald Trump walked out of the JCPOA, calling it a “horrible” and one-sided deal. However, after walking out of the JCPOA in 2018 and waging an offensive campaign from February 28, 2026, to April 7, 2026, and spending billions of dollar Trump was desperate to agree to a 10-point ceasefire proposal to salvage his and the GOP's deteriorating political future. The ceasefire proposal shows that Iran was negotiating from a position of strength. Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, but in coordination with the Iranian military. The US would be lifting all primary and secondary sanctions on Iran. Iran urged acceptance of Uranium enrichment and no IAEA oversight. Further, the US would cease all aggression, withdraw all troops from the region and agree to pay compensation. The proposal, even though not binding yet, puts the US at a disadvantageous position. If agreed, it will convert the US from an empire to a mere regional power.

Also Read: From Trump’s ultimatum to Sharif’s plea: How US and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire

Domestically in the US, there are intense debate between the Democrats and Republicans over who had better deals with Iran. Democrats have called Trump's handling of Iran an impeachable offence and raised concern about Trump's mental health to continue in office after he claimed that the Iranians want to be bombed. Both parties approached US foreign policy differently; on one hand, Barack Obama had a diplomatic approach, and on the other hand, Donald Trump had a “maximum pressure” approach. In the process, Trump managed to isloate US globally; it lost its European allies, who were earlier very efficient in covering the US aggression in the Gulf as a war for Western democratic values. The result is not only a botched-up military campaign but a total and absolute loss of moral legitimacy.