US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, December 12, 2024.
Abeer Sultan | Via Reuters
The Biden administration is concerned that a weakened Iran might decide to build a nuclear weapon, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Sunday, adding that he was briefing President-elect Donald Trump's team on the risks.
Iran is suffering from setbacks to its regional influence after the Israeli attacks on its allies, the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah, which were followed by the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is allied with Iran.
Tehran's “conventional capabilities” have also been reduced, Sullivan told CNN, referring to recent Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses.
“It's not surprising that there are voices (in Iran) saying: 'Maybe we should pursue a nuclear weapon now… Maybe we should reconsider our nuclear doctrine,'” Sullivan told CNN.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has expanded uranium enrichment since Trump withdrew in his first term from the agreement between Iran and world powers to limit Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Sullivan said there was now a “real risk” that Iran would review its position that “we are not aiming to have a nuclear weapon.”
“It's a risk we're trying to be vigilant about now. It's a risk I'm personally briefing on the new team,” Sullivan said, adding that he had also consulted with US ally Israel on the issue.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, is likely to tighten sanctions on the Iranian oil industry despite calls to return to negotiations from critics who see diplomacy as a more effective policy in the long term.
