Newly elected US President Donald Trump could abandon Joe Biden’s diplomatic policies as he considers a pre-emptive airstrike on Iran to halt its nuclear development
According to the Wall Street Journal, the option of attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities is being strongly considered by Trump’s team as it examines the US position in the Middle East following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas and Israel. Hezbollah.
Iran’s weakened position and recently revealed information about its nuclear developments have sparked internal discussions within the new president’s team, but the talks are still in their early stages.
Sources familiar with the plan told WSJ that Trump’s team was exploring various ways to deter Iran.
This includes sending more military forces, ships and warplanes to the region while strengthening Israel’s offensive.
In 2015, Iran reached an agreement on its nuclear program with a group of world powers, including the US, which was then led by President Barack Obama.
However, in May 2018, then-President Trump abandoned the pact, calling it “fundamentally flawed.”
Biden tried to revive the pact during his presidency, but Iran ultimately walked away, yet he continued to seek a diplomatic solution to the region’s nuclear advances.
Newly-elected US President Donald Trump is considering a pre-emptive air strike on Iran to halt its nuclear development
A Khorramshahr-4 missile is launched from a secret location in Iran on May 25, 2023
Iranian leader Ali Khamenei pictured in Tehran on November 7
Trump recently told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is concerned about a nuclear catastrophe awaiting him and wants to prevent a new war.
It comes after it emerged last month that Iran’s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 32 times the limit set in a major nuclear deal, the UN watchdog said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said that as of October 26, Iran has 182.3 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, an increase of 17.6 kilograms since the last report in August.
Uranium enriched to a purity of 60% is just a short, technical step away from a weapons-grade level of 90%.
Iran had capped its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and other key provisions as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but reportedly returned to the program after the US pulled out in 2018 under Donald Trump.
According to the IAEA’s theoretical definition, approximately 42 kg of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which making an atomic bomb cannot be ruled out.
It comes after Trump, who was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year this week, spoke about the publication of a possible war with Iran, saying that “anything can happen.” It’s a very volatile situation.’
Meanwhile, Israeli officials said this week that they believe there is an opportunity to attack Iran’s nuclear sites and that they are preparing for a possible attack after the coup in Syria, a close ally of Iran.