Menendez says Obama ousted him for opposing Iran nuclear deal

Former US senator Bob Menendez on Friday accused former president Barack Obama of orchestrating his political downfall after he opposed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

“When, as the Chairman of the SFRC (Senate Foreign Relations Committee), I didn't go along with Obama's Iran deal, I was indicted, and the next day after being stripped of my position, Obama announced the Iran deal,” Menendez wrote on X.

“Obama told me that he could not have the Democratic Chairman of the SFRC be against him,” he added.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was a multilateral agreement between Iran and world powers that aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Menendez, a Democrat, was one of the most prominent critics of the deal within his party at the time.

“By having me removed as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama removed my major opposition to his Iran deal. It was a bad deal for the U.S. and for our ally, Israel,” Menendez said.

Menendez resigned from the Senate last year after being convicted on 16 federal charges, including bribery, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. He was sentenced in January 2025 to 11 years in prison. He is supposed to report to federal prison on June 17.