Despite the upcoming Iranian Presidential Election, Iran’s ministers seem laser-focused on a completely different issue: Nuclearization. In recent weeks, rumors began to circulate about the possibility of the Iranians reaching nuclear capabilities. This Friday, those rumors have become reality.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, reported the recent beheading of the Iranian Minister of Energy. Wasting no time in appointing a replacement, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed the Minister of Science to take on the role of heading the Ministry of Energy this Friday. Ayatollah Khamenei expressed hopes that the new head of the Energy department would, “lead Iran to nuclear power.”
The Iranian government, which has historically been extremely secretive about its nuclear program, is openly discussing plans for nuclearization in governmental meetings. In a session that admitted a New York Times delegate, The Iranian Chief of Staff noted that “the western media is well aware of our intentions,” showing that the Iranians fully understand that they’re nuclear ambitions are no longer a state secret.
Some Iranian delegates seemed incredibly optimistic about their prospects, making bold claims about Iran’s geopolitical rivals. Iranian Major General Mohammad Bagheri even went so far as to say that “The U.S. President Joe Biden can be easily manipulated.”
President Biden and his administration seem to have no intention of being duped. Before entering a closed session, The United States cabinet debated the merits of a summit with the Iranians to address the nuclear situation. Many cabinet members were optimistic about the prospects of negotiating with the Iranians, hoping to deescalate the situation through diplomacy. However, some cabinet members, like Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, expressed reservations about the Iranian’s willingness to meet face to face. In the open session, Secretary Blinken cited Iran’s historical unwillingness to engage in diplomacy as a reason to seek a better alternative for addressing the situation.
As the Iranian nuclear situation develops, the global media will no doubt be watching Iran, its allies, and its rivals. The next few days will no doubt be headlined by major developments as Iran’s new Minister of Energy begins to carry out the Supreme Leader’s wishes, and as the global superpowers prepare to address those developments.
