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Although the Biden administration has been soft on Iran throughout their tenure, an Axios report claims that as they continue preparing to depart the White House, the president and his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan discussed a preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic to slow their nuke development.

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It would be an extraordinary move by a lame-duck president who has only a few weeks left to serve, but apparently no action was decided upon:

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 towards 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.

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.

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The tweet continues:

According to unnamed officials, the meeting was not the result of newly found intelligence or a change in dynamic, but was held in order to talk “Prudent Scenario Planning.” While Concepts of Operations (CONOP) could have been discussed, sources told Axios that no ‘active’ plans were in motion to conduct military operations against Iran at the time.

Related: NEW: Just Two Days After Trump’s Win, Biden Unfreezes $10 Billion in Assets for Islamist Iran

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The discussion was not prompted by any new information, but reports indicate that Iran is getting uncomfortably close to acquiring nukes:

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.

Scary stuff:

  • Iran increased its Uranium enrichment to 60%, close enough to the 90% level needed to produce a nuclear weapon that Iran’s advanced centrifuges could accomplish it in a matter of days.
  • According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has enough 60%-enriched uranium to make four nuclear bombs.

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As RedState’s Bonchie pointed out, the Biden team likes to brag that their policies made Iran weaker—but if that’s true, how are they so close to getting the bomb?

It’s hard to imagine Old Joe taking such drastic action with just 17 days left before Trump takes power, but you never know with these folks. I do know, however, that many—if not most—of us will feel a whole lot better when we have a real commander-in-chief at the wheel.