Western officials say they are braced for a period of increased volatility with Iran as the country prepares to choose a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash over the weekend. U.S. officials say the Biden administration’s fundamental approach to Iran now boils down to keeping open channels of communication to avoid direct conflict or a crisis in the run-up to November’s elections. The State Department offered “official condolences" for the death of Raisi and other Iranian officials while reaffirming its support for the Iranian people “and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms." The possibility that Iran might edge closer to a nuclear weapon is perhaps the greatest concern among Western officials. Iran denies it has ever worked on nuclear weapons and U.S. officials say there is no evidence Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.

Source: Wall Street Journal May 22, 2024 11:08 UTC