The White House is concerned that Iran’s weakened position will prompt the regime to pursue a nuclear weapon. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is coordinating with the Trump team on this concern. Iran has suffered a year of setbacks, including Israeli strikes on its proxy forces and a pull-out from Syria amid the takeover by Sunni Muslim forces hostile to Iran’s Shiite government.
Sullivan said that when good things happen, like Iran being weaker than it was before, there are frequently bad things lurking around the corner. He added that if Iran’s conventional capability has been reduced, its proxies have been reduced, and its main client state has been eliminated, it’s no wonder there are voices saying, “Hey, maybe we need to go for a nuclear weapon right now.”
Iran has expanded its uranium enrichment to 60% purity, a short step away from the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon. The United Kingdom, Germany, and France have publicly called on Iran to “reverse its nuclear escalation,” arguing there is no “credible civilian justification” to stockpile 60% uranium.
Sullivan said there is a risk Iran will abandon its promise not to build nuclear weapons and that he is personally briefing the incoming team on this risk. He is also consulting with Israel. Trump, who takes office on January 20, could bring back his “maximum pressure” policy to cripple Iran’s oil financing.
Sullivan held out hope that Trump could come in and use Iran’s weakened position to get them to agree to a new nuclear deal. He said that maybe Trump could come around this time and actually deliver a nuclear deal that curbs Iran’s nuclear ambitions for the long term.
Trump’s team is currently weighing its options to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including preventive airstrikes.
