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In Israel, Biden to sign joint pledge to prevent Iran going nuclear

14 July 2022 12:47 (UTC +04:00)

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid will sign a joint pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons on Thursday, closing ranks after long-running disputes between the allies over global diplomacy with Tehran, APA reports citing Reuters,

Biden, who is visiting Jerusalem, told Israeli TV on Wednesday he was open to "last resort" use of force against Iran - an apparent move toward accommodating Israel's calls on world powers to present a "credible military threat".

The United States and Israel have separately made veiled statements about possible preemptive war with Iran - which denies seeking nuclear arms - for years. Formally articulating the rhetoric could enhance the sense of deterrence and resolve.

The show of Israel-U.S. commitment may also offer Biden a boost when he continues on to Saudi Arabia on Friday. Riyadh has its own Iran worries, and Biden hopes to parlay that into an Saudi-Iranian rapprochement under U.S. auspices.

"I think what you’ll see in the joint declaration is a pledge and a commitment never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and that we're prepared to use all elements of our national power to ensure that outcome," one U.S. official said.

There was no immediate comment on the planned Jerusalem declaration from Tehran.