Joe Biden expects a prompt Iranian response to the political tensions in the region.

US President Joe Biden promised Israel on Thursday that he will use “every element of his national power” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Biden expressed this commitment in a joint statement that he signed with the acting Prime Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid.

In the statement, released by the White House, “the United States emphasizes its commitment to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome.”

The statement does not clarify whether Washington would be willing to resort to military means; But, in an interview broadcast Wednesday on Israeli Channel 12 news, Biden said he would be willing to use force against Iran if it develops a nuclear bomb, but he would do so “as a last resort.”

In the text, in addition, the United States reaffirms its commitment to confront the “aggressions and destabilizing activities of Iran”, either directly or through related groups, among which the text cites the Lebanese Hezbollah or the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Biden won’t wait long

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, warned that he will not wait indefinitely for Iran to decide to save the nuclear pact signed in 2015 .

Asked at a press conference in Jerusalem if there is a deadline for Iran to accept the conditions proposed by the US, Biden replied: “When that happens I don’t know, but we are not going to wait forever.”

The Biden administration has been negotiating with Tehran indirectly through European mediation since 2021 to revive the pact, but negotiations have stalled since March and the White House is increasingly pessimistic about the possibility of an understanding.

Iranian nuclear program

The Iranian nuclear program has become one of the protagonists of Biden’s visit to Israel, Tehran’s main enemy in the region and which opposes Washington returning to the nuclear pact signed in 2015 and of which former President Donald Trump (2017 -2021) came out in 2018.

The Biden government has been negotiating with Tehran indirectly through European mediation since 2021 to revive the pact, but the negotiations have been stalled since March and the White House is increasingly pessimistic about the possibility of an understanding.

On the other hand, the statement reaffirms the “bipartisan” and “sacrosanct” commitment of the United States to Israel’s security and promises that it will “strengthen” Israel’s ability to defend itself against any threat.

The US commitment to Israel’s security has materialized in practice with the delivery of military aid.

In the document, Washington commits to fulfilling the promise made in 2016 by the Government of Barack Obama (2009-2017), in which Biden served as vice president, to deliver aid worth 38,000 million dollars to the Hebrew State between 2019 and 2028.

Biden also agrees to ask Congress to approve more funds for air defense systems. The United States has earmarked a billion dollars for the “Iron Dome” system this year alone, and now Israel wants Washington to financially support a new laser-powered anti-aircraft defense system, the goal of which is to shoot down missiles and drones before they hit Israeli soil.

The text also reaffirms “the unbreakable ties” that unite the two nations and expresses its concern about the situation in Ukraine. This is the second day of Biden’s visit to Israel, his first stop on a brief tour of the Middle East that will also take him to the West Bank and Saudi Arabia.

Iran issues warning

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Washington and its Middle Eastern allies on Thursday that they should not try to destabilize the region, following the signing of the strategic partnership between Israel and the United States in front of Tehran.

“I declare to the Americans and their regional allies that the Iranian nation will not accept any insecurity or crisis in the region,” the president said during a televised speech on the sidelines of a trip to the west of the country.

“Any mistake in this region will be met with a firm and regrettable response,” he noted.