The Biden administration is concerned that a weakened Iran could build a nuclear weapon. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made the comments on Sunday, stating that he was briefing President-elect Donald Trump’s team on the risk.
Israel’s assaults on Iranian allies have reduced Tehran’s conventional military capabilities. Sullivan said that some voices in Iran are now advocating for a nuclear weapon due to these losses. However, Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful.
Since the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in 2021, Tehran has expanded uranium enrichment. The administration views this as a risk that Iran might abandon its promise not to build nuclear weapons.
Sullivan said he was consulting with Israel and briefing the incoming Trump team on this concern. As Trump takes office on January 20, there’s an opportunity for him to pursue diplomacy with Tehran due to Iran’s weakened state.
According to Sullivan, Trump may be able to deliver a long-term nuclear deal that curbs Iran’s ambitions by stepping up sanctions on its oil industry and engaging in negotiations.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/weakened-iran-could-pursue-nuclear-weapon-white-houses-sullivan-says-2024-12-22