Obama reflects on nuclear record ahead of visit to Hiroshima

(Image credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images)

published 26 May 2016

On Friday, President Obama will become the first American president to visit Hiroshima, one of two Japanese cities against which the U.S. waged nuclear war during World War II. Obama, who entered office in 2009 vowing to scale back global nuclear power, spoke on his nuclear record as commander in chief Thursday during the G7 summit in Asia. He defended his administration's work but acknowledged "we're not where we need to be yet," citing last year's controversial Iran nuclear deal as evidence of progress but conceding the legitimate threat of terrorist organizations obtaining nuclear arms.

"Part of the reason I'm going [to Hiroshima] is because I want to ... underscore the very real risks that are out there and the sense of urgency that we all should have," the president said. In 2009, just months after his first inauguration, Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts" toward international peace, and specifically his vision for a "nuclear-free world."