The Barack Obama Presidential Center, slated to open in Chicago in mid-June, will feature an exhibit highlighting the former president’s “patient and principled diplomacy” and “strategic engagement with adversaries” in the lead-up to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, asserting that he prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 

The claims emerge amid a tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran as the parties have repeatedly rejected the other’s proposals to end the war. Iran and its proxies in the region have attacked Israel and its neighbors with thousands of ballistic missiles and drones since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks. 

“Through diplomacy, the US forged a new treaty with Russia to reduce both countries’ nuclear stockpiles,” the exhibit reads, according to images obtained during the museum’s soft launch reviewed by Jewish Insider. “The Obama administration prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.”  

It goes on to say, “Iran’s nuclear program threatened the security of its neighboring countries and global stability. Rather than risk another Middle East war, Obama chose patient and principled diplomacy. Over six years, he negotiated, built a global coalition, and enforced strong sanctions on Iran. In a historic deal, Iran rolled back its nuclear program and was prevented from building a nuclear weapon. The result supported his view that strategic engagement with adversaries can reduce threats while avoiding war.”

The statements refer to the 2015 agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. At the time of its implementation, the deal garnered widespread criticism, including from mainstream Jewish organizations, over concerns that the limits placed on Iran lifted too quickly and would allow the Islamic Republic to achieve a nuclear weapon, all while jeopardizing Israel’s security. Critics further say the agreement indirectly provided Tehran with additional resources to fund its regional proxies. 

President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement in 2018, arguing it was inadequate and failed to address Iran’s ballistic missiles and regional malign activities. 

A dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center is scheduled for June 18 followed by its opening to the public the next day. 

The center did not respond to a request for comment from Jewish Insider about the exhibit.