The administration of US President Joe Biden fears that a weakened Iran could develop a nuclear weapon. This was stated on Sunday by the President’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who in his own words the team of the newly elected President Donald Trump informs about this threat. This was reported by CNN and Reuters, writes TASR.
Iran’s influence in the region has suffered as a result of Israel’s attacks on its allies, the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah, after the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, an ally of Tehran. Israeli attacks on Iranian facilities, such as missile factories and air defense facilities, have reduced Tehran’s conventional military potential, Sullivan told CNN. According to his words, there are voices in Iran in this regard, according to which it could the country to seek to acquire nuclear weapons and to reconsider its nuclear doctrine.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, but has expanded uranium enrichment, since Trump, during his first term in office (2017-21), withdrew the US from the major powers’ agreement with Tehran to curb Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
According to Sullivan, there is a risk that Tehran could abandon its promises not to produce nuclear weapons. “It’s a risk that we’re trying to watch out for now. It’s a risk that I’m personally informing the incoming team about,” the adviser said, adding that he also consulted with Israel on the matter.
Trump, who will take office on January 20, 2025, could return to his hard line on Iran by tightening sanctions on its oil industry, according to Reuters. Sullivan says Trump will have an opportunity for diplomacy given the “weakness” of Iran. “Perhaps he will succeed now in the situation Iran is in and reach a nuclear agreement that will limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions in the long term,” he added.
