Weakened Iran could seek nuclear weapon, says White House’s Sullivan By Reuters

(Reuters) – The Biden administration is concerned that a weakened Iran could decide to build a nuclear weapon, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday, adding that he was briefing incoming President-elect Donald Trump’s team. about the risk.

Iran is reeling from setbacks to its regional influence after Israel’s attacks on its allies, Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, followed by the fall of Iran-aligned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Tehran’s “conventional capabilities” have also been reduced, Sullivan told CNN, referring to recent Israeli attacks on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses.

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

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has expanded uranium enrichment since Trump, in his first term as president, withdrew from a deal between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Sullivan said there is now a “real risk” that Iran will revise its position that “we are not going for a nuclear bomb.”

“It’s a risk that we’re trying to be vigilant about now. It’s a risk that I’m personally briefing the incoming team about,” Sullivan said, adding that he had also consulted with US ally Israel on the issue.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, is likely to step up sanctions on Iran’s oil industry despite calls for a return to negotiations from critics who see diplomacy as a more effective long-term policy.