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Biden Administration Warns Of Iran’s Nuclear Threat Amid Regional Setbacks

Iran
A missile in front of a poster of the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a military exhibition in Tehran, Iran. Photo credit: Hasan Sarbakhshian/AP
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U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday (December 22) warned of a “real risk” that Iran could shift its stance on avoiding nuclear weapons development.

“It’s no wonder there are voices (in Iran) saying ‘Hey, maybe we need to go for a nuclear weapon right now… Maybe we have to revisit our nuclear doctrine’,” Sullivan told CNN.

The outgoing Biden administration is currently briefing President-elect Donald Trump’s team on the increasing likelihood of Iran pursuing a nuclear weapon, Sullivan added.

Iran’s Nuclear Program

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, it has exceeded international limits on uranium enrichment and accelerated its nuclear activities. Since May, senior Iranian officials, including Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have warned that any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would prompt a shift in its nuclear doctrine.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that an Iranian effort to get a nuclear bomb is “not inevitable.”

“This is something that may be more a question now because they’ve lost different tools. They’ve lost different lines of defence,” he said. “Sure, you’re going to see more thinking about that, but the costs and consequences for them for pursuing that route, I think, would be severe.”

Regional Setbacks

Concerns over Iran’s increasing focus on its nuclear program come amid a period of waning regional influence. This decline has been significantly impacted by Israel’s strikes on its allies, Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as the removal of Syria’s Iran-aligned President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump’s Stance On Iran’s Nuclear Program

With President-elect Donald Trump set to return to the White House next month, Iran faces a vulnerable position following significant setbacks suffered by its regional partners. Donald Trump, during his first term, withdrew from a deal between Iran and world powers aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Trump is now expected to intensify sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, despite calls from critics urging a return to negotiations as a more sustainable long-term strategy.