US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid are about to reaffirm their opposition to Iran and sign a joint statement pledging to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
On Thursday morning, the second day of Biden’s four-day Middle East tour, after a private meeting in West Jerusalem, the deal is anticipated to be made public.
Washington is anticipated to make a commitment to keep providing military support to Israel in the joint statement.
When Joe Biden served as vice president under previous US President Barack Obama, a record 10-year $38 billion aid agreement was reached in 2016.
On Wednesday, Biden told Israeli television that he was willing to use force as a “last resort” against Iran, seemingly caving into Israel’s demands that the international community pose a “serious military threat.”
For years, the US and Israel have each made covert statements about a potential preemptive strike against Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons. Formally expressing the rhetoric may increase the sense of resolve and deterrence.
Biden might benefit from the demonstration of American and Israeli commitment when he travels to Saudi Arabia on Friday. Biden aspires to use Riyadh’s concerns about Iran to facilitate a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran under American sponsorship.
There was no immediate comment on the planned Jerusalem declaration from Tehran.
A global agreement limiting Iranian nuclear initiatives with the capacity to make bombs was concluded in 2015. When Donald Trump, then-president of the United States, withdrew from the agreement in 2018, Israel applauded his decision.
Israel has recently stated that it will support a new agreement with stricter clauses. Iran has refused to comply with new restrictions.
“The only thing worse than the Iran which exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons, and if we can return to the deal, we can hold them tight,” Biden said.
