Biden ‘discussed plans to strike Iran nuclear sites before Trump inauguration’

Joe Biden reportedly discussed plans to strike Iran’s nuclear sites in the event Tehran moved closer to building a nuclear bomb before Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan 20.

The US president, who has just weeks left in office, was presented with a range of scenarios by Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, in secret talks which took place last month, US officials told Axios.

The purpose of the meeting was not for Mr Biden to reach a definitive decision but rather to engage in “prudent scenario planning,” one of the sources said.

It comes after Mr Sullivan said last month he had briefed Mr Trump on the “risk” of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons.

Mr Biden is said to have engaged in discussions about how the US should respond if Iran took specific steps towards building a nuclear bomb before Jan 20, including by enriching uranium to 90 per cent purity.

The president reportedly asked whether Iran had taken any such steps that would justify an urgent military response just weeks before Mr Trump took office and which would risk handing over a fresh conflict for him to deal with.

Mr Biden did not reach a definitive conclusion and there are no active discussions inside the White House about taking military action against Iran, the US officials reportedly said.

Mr Sullivan warned in December last year that there was an increased risk that Iran might abandon its promise not to build nuclear weapons.

“It’s a risk we are trying to be vigilant about now. It’s a risk that I’m personally briefing the incoming team on,” Mr Sullivan said, adding that he had consulted with US ally Israel.

He said that given Iran’s “weakened state”, Mr Trump could also persuade Iran to commit to dismantling its nuclear capacity.

The president-elect is reportedly considering airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities when he returns to the White House later this month.

Mr Trump has told Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in recent calls that he is concerned about Iran achieving nuclear capability, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, Mr Trump’s nominees for secretary of state and national security adviser, have consistently taken hardline stances on Iran.

Mr Netanyahu has long called for Iran’s nuclear programme to be stopped in its tracks but has faced resistance from Israeli military officials and Washington.

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