RIYADH: US President Joe Biden said on Israeli television on Wednesday that using military force to dissuade Iran from gaining nuclear weapons was not out of the question “if that were the ultimate choice.”
However, the president refused to clarify whether he had discussed possible military measures with Israeli leaders.
In an interview with N12, Biden stated that he was dedicated to retaining Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, even if it meant jeopardizing the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday as part of a regional visit that will also include a GCC summit in Saudi Arabia.
When asked why his administration was so adamant about resurrecting the deal, which is opposed by the majority of US allies in the region, Biden said, “The only thing worse than the Iran that exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons.”
Biden blamed his predecessor, Donald Trump, for the deal’s cancellation, saying Iran was now more dangerous as a result.
“They are now closer to having a nuclear weapon than they were before,” Biden stated.
Because of Iran’s destabilizing actions in the Middle East, Trump removed the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was agreed in 2015 by Iran and the P5+1 group of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany. Most US partners in the region supported the previous president’s decision.
The agreement provided Iran sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear-activity inspections.
Source: TV Israel