Obama: Netanyahu also urged me to go to war with Iran, now he got what he wanted

(Patria) - Former US President Barack Obama warned that the United States risks causing catastrophic global damage if its leaders abandon fundamental human values. Obama indirectly referred to President Donald Trump's threats to Iran, making the statements in an interview published on Monday by The New Yorker magazine.

The former US President emphasized: "I believe that American leadership, embodied by the president, must reflect fundamental respect for human dignity and decency, both within our borders and beyond."

Pressure for war with Iran

Obama questioned the cost-effectiveness of a war with Iran and recalled that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, just like Trump, strongly urged him to engage in military conflict, which he refused. "I believe my assessment was correct," Obama said, expressing doubt whether such an outcome was truly beneficial to Israel or the US.

"Netanyahu got what he wanted. But whether that is ultimately best for the Israeli people is very questionable. I also doubt whether it is good for the United States. I think my disagreements with Mr. Netanyahu are well documented," he added.

Criticism of Trump's rhetoric

Referring to Trump's threat to Iran - "an entire civilization will die tonight, never come back" - Obama, without naming him directly, said that such language is contrary to what American leadership should represent.

"If we do not stand for those fundamental values - that there are innocent people in countries with terrible governments and that we care about those people, that we can make mistakes if we are not careful about arrogance and exclusively self-interest... If we do not adhere to that, the world could go in a very bad direction," he said.

Obama also pointed to the significant damage Trump has inflicted on US relations with allies and warned that rebuilding those ties will be a huge challenge.

"I think repairing the damage done to the international order will be even more difficult than some repairs on the domestic front," he said, describing the system of international cooperation established after World War II as "one of America's brightest moments."