White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reportedly briefed President Biden on possible American strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, should Iran attempt rapid nuclear breakout ahead of Trump inauguration.
President Joe Biden was briefed on options for an American airstrike against Iranian nuclear facilities recently, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Axios reported Thursday night.
Citing three separate sources with knowledge of the briefing, the report stated that White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan presented President Biden with various options for American military interventions in Iran to prevent the Islamic republic from pursuing a rapid nuclear breakout during Biden’s lame-duck period prior to Trump’s inauguration.
The briefing reportedly took place roughly one month ago, and according to the sources cited in the report, Biden did not reach a final decision on how to respond should Iran attempt to produce a nuclear weapon before Trump enters office.
One American official with knowledge of the briefing said the meeting was not held in response to any new information suggesting Iran was in fact moving towards a rapid nuclear breakout.
Rather the briefing was held as part of talks inside the administration on “prudent scenario planning” for various potentialities, including the possibility Iran achieve 90% uranium enrichment prior to Trump’s January 20th inauguration.
Iran is currently estimated to have achieved 60% uranium enrichment, leaving its nuclear program positioned to reach nuclear breakout capacity – producing 90%-enriched weapons-grade uranium – within a matter of days.
The United Nations’ atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, believes Iran has approximately enough 60%-enriched uranium to potentially produce four atomic bombs at 90% enrichment with a short breakout time.
A second official said there are no active talks in the White House regarding plans to attack Iran’s nuclear program.
Sullivan reportedly believes Iran’s defeats in the ongoing proxy war with Israel, along with the losses suffered by key allies including Hamas and Hezbollah and the collapse of the Assad regime, combined with the damage to the Iranian air defense network, have made an American attack on Iran’s nuclear program more viable.
However, an American official cited in the report said the National Security Advisor did not make any recommendation to the president.
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