President Joe Biden made a bold pronouncement about preventing Iran from procuring nuclear weapons in a meeting with outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
Biden was speaking Monday to reporters with Rivlin in the Oval Office of the White House when he made the comments.
“What I can say to you is that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch,” Biden said.
The statement came a day after he ordered a military strike on facilities of Iran-backed militia groups near the border between Iraq and Syria. Biden explained that the strikes were in a response to unmanned aerial vehicle attacks from the militia against U.S. troops and facilities.
Those were the second round of airstrikes the president had ordered against the Iran-backed militia forces. In February, the military responded against lethal attacks on U.S. service members in Iraq with bombings in Syria.
Among Biden’s first acts as president when he assumed the office in February was to call for Iran to resume the Obama-era deal on nuclear arms that was rescinded by former President Donald Trump.
Biden has claimed that cooperation with Iran would be the only way to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining nuclear weapons. His critics have denounced the deal for providing monetary aid to Iran while empowering the government. Israel’s new government is maintaining the nation’s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal.
Rivlin told reporters that he was delighted to meet with Biden.
“Of course, I have to repeat what we know very well, Israel have no greater friend, ally, than the United States of America. You are our best friends,” said Rivlin, who also met later with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Rivlin went on to say that the friendship between the two countries was based on the values of democracy and liberalism that they share.
Rivlin is slated to leave office on July 7 after a seven-year term. Isaac Herzog, a former parliament member, will take over as Israeli president.
Here’s the video of Biden’s comments:
Biden to Israeli President: ‘Iran will NEVER get a nuclear weapon on my watch”
www.youtube.com