Inside Biden's meeting on striking Iran's nuclear program

[phkrause]

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan presented President Biden with options for a potential U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities if the Iranians move toward a nuclear weapon before Jan. 20 — in a meeting several weeks ago that remained secret until now, three sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios' Barak Ravid.

• Why it matters: A U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear program during the lame-duck period would be an enormous gamble from a president who promised he would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, but who would also risk handing a fresh conflict over to his successor. Biden did not green-light a strike during the meeting and has not done so since, the sources said.

Biden and his national security team discussed various options and scenarios during the meeting, which took place roughly one month ago, but the president did not make any final decision, according to the sources.

• A U.S. official with knowledge of the issue said the White House meeting was not prompted by new intelligence or intended to end in a yes or no decision from Biden. Instead, it was part of a discussion on "prudent scenario planning" of how the U.S. should respond if Iran were to take steps like enriching Uranium to 90% purity before Jan. 20, the official said.
• Another source said there are currently no active discussions inside the White House about possible military action against Iran's nuclear facilities.

The intrigue: One source said Biden focused on whether Iran had taken new steps to justify a dramatic military strike a few weeks before a new president takes office.

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