Joe Biden and his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed bombing Iran’s nuclear site before Trump takes office later this month.
According to Axios, Sullivan brought up the option of bombing Iran in a meeting several weeks ago.
Iran has quietly been expanding its nuclear enrichment capacity at two underground sites as it publicly denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
The terrorist state has long maintained its Obama-backed nuclear program is to help its citizens.
According to various reports, Iran is very close to possessing a viable nuclear weapon.
Axios reported:
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan presented President Biden with options for a potential U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities if the Iranians move towards a nuclear weapon before Jan. 20, in a meeting several weeks ago that remained secret until now, three sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios.
Why it matters: A U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear program during the lame duck period would be an enormous gamble from a president who promised he would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, but who would also risk handing a fresh conflict over to his successor. Biden did not green light a strike during the meeting and has not done so since, the sources said.
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Biden and his national security team discussed various options and scenarios during the meeting, which took place roughly one month ago, but the president did not make any final decision, according to the sources.
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A U.S. official with knowledge of the issue said the White House meeting was not prompted by new intelligence or intended to end in a yes or no decision from Biden. Instead, it was part of a discussion on “prudent scenario planning” of how the U.S. should respond if Iran were to take steps like enriching Uranium to 90% purity before Jan. 20, the official said.
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Another source said there are currently no active discussions inside the White House about possible military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
