Barack Obama

====Iran nuclear talks====
{{Main|Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action}}
[[File:Barack Obama talks with Benjamin Netanyahu (8637772147).jpg|thumb|Obama talks with Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] in [[Jerusalem]], March 2013.|alt=refer to caption]]

On October 1, 2009, the Obama administration went ahead with a Bush administration program, increasing nuclear weapons production. The "Complex Modernization" initiative expanded two existing nuclear sites to produce new bomb parts. In November 2013, the Obama administration opened [[Negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|negotiations]] with Iran to prevent it from acquiring [[nuclear weapon]]s, which included an [[Joint Plan of Action|interim agreement]]. Negotiations took two years with numerous delays, with a deal being announced on July 14, 2015. The deal titled the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" saw sanctions removed in exchange for measures that would prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. While Obama hailed the agreement as being a step towards a more hopeful world, the deal drew strong criticism from Republican and conservative quarters, and from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<ref>{{Cite news |title = Iran deal reached, Obama hails step toward 'more hopeful world' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-idUSKCN0PM0CE20150714 |date = July 14, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2015 |work = Reuters }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title = Iran, World Powers Prepare to Sign Nuclear Accord |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/embargo-on-arms-clouds-iran-nuclear-deal-1436831280 |date = July 14, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2015 |newspaper = The Wall Street Journal |last1 = Solomon |first1 = Jay |last2 = Norman |first2 = Laurence |last3 = Lee |first3 = Carol E. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Landmark deal reached on Iran nuclear program |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/14/politics/iran-nuclear-deal/ |date = July 14, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2015 |publisher = CNN }}</ref> In addition, the transfer of $1.7{{spaces}}billion in cash to Iran shortly after the deal was announced was criticized by the Republican party. The Obama administration said that the payment in cash was because of the "effectiveness of U.S. and international sanctions."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-iran-payment-cash-20160907-snap-story.html|title=$1.7-billion payment to Iran was all in cash due to effectiveness of sanctions, White House says|date=September 7, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> In order to advance the deal, the Obama administration shielded [[Hezbollah]] from the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]]'s [[Project Cassandra]] investigation regarding drug smuggling and from the [[Central Intelligence Agency]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.829686 |title=Obama Administration Reportedly Shielded Hezbollah From DEA and CIA to Save Iran Nuclear Deal |work=Haaretz |date=December 18, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/ |title=A Global Threat Emerges |work=Politico |date=December 18, 2017 |first=Josh |last=Meyer }}</ref>
On a side note, the very same year, in December 2015, Obama started a $348{{spaces}}billion worth program to back the biggest U.S. buildup of nuclear arms since Ronald Reagan left the White House.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2015/12/15/obama-backs-biggest-nuclear-arms-buildup-since-cold-war/|title=Obama Backs Biggest Nuclear Arms Buildup Since Cold War|first=Loren|last=Thompson|website=Forbes}}</ref>