President Biden reportedly presented with options for potential US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has reportedly presented President Joe Biden with options for a potential U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to the Axios news outlet.

The exclusive report cited three informed sources stating that locations for U.S. strike options were being prepared if the Iranian regime decided to acquire nuclear weapons before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20.

The Axios report revealed that the top-level meeting between Biden and Sullivan took place approximately one month ago.

Biden has previously vowed he would not permit the Iranian regime to develop nuclear weapons while he was president. However, the Biden administration is reportedly concerned that the significant weakening of Iran’s terror axis could drive the regime to accelerate its development of nuclear weapons.

Furthermore, Washington may consider leveraging Tehran's current vulnerability to target Iran's nuclear sites, Axios reported. However, the sources emphasized that Biden was presented with potential concepts rather than a concrete operational plan for striking the facilities.

In January 2024, U.S. nuclear expert David Albright warned that the Iranian regime was dangerously close to enriching weapons-grade uranium, a critical step toward developing nuclear bombs.

“Iran can quickly make enough weapon-grade uranium for many nuclear weapons, something it could not do in 2003. Today, it would need only about a week to produce enough for its first nuclear weapon. It could have enough weapon-grade uranium for six weapons in one month, and after five months of producing weapon-grade uranium, it could have enough for twelve,” Albright warned.

It is unclear whether Biden is prepared to use military force to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Following Iran’s missile attack on Israel on Oct. 1, Biden expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself and respond to the Iranian aggression.

“We’ll be discussing with the Israelis what they’re going to do, but all seven of us agree that they have a right to respond but they should respond proportionally,” Biden stated, referring to a consensus among the industrialized G7 countries – namely the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany, Italy and Canada.

“Obviously, Iran is way off course,” Biden continued, stressing that the industrialized nations “unequivocally condemned Iran’s attack against Israel.”

However, at the time, Biden simultaneously stressed that he did not support a potential Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

During the U.S. presidential campaign in October, Trump strongly criticized the Biden administration for pressuring Israel to refrain from targeting Iran’s nuclear sites.

“That was the craziest answer,” Trump said. “Because, you know what? Soon, they’re going to have nuclear weapons. And then you’re going to have problems,”

Trump, who withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration, has consistently criticized the Biden administration for funding Iran’s regional and global terrorism by granting Tehran access to billions of dollars.