Biden defends Iran deal against Israel news scrutiny, officials tout 'important strategic ties'
Biden told reporter he would use force against Iran 'if that was the last resort, yes'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden again defended his decision to revive the Iran nuclear deal, this time batting back objections from Israeli news media on the subject.
Biden spoke with Israel’s Channel 12 in a pre-taped interview that aired Wednesday. The interviewer addressed the Iran Deal, citing recent polls that found 75% of Israelis do not trust the Biden administration to consider Israel’s interests during negotiations regarding the issue.
"The only thing worse than the Iran that exists now is Iran with nuclear weapons, and if we can return to the deal and hold them tight," Biden said. He again blamed former President Donald Trump for pulling out of the deal and providing Iran an opportunity to increase its nuclear proliferation rapidly.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"[Iran is] closer to a nuclear weapon now than they were before," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with whether or not the Quds Force is going to stop or going to continue to be engaged in activities: We can act against them and still have a deal where they curtail their nuclear program … so I still think it makes sense."
OIL, IRAN AND NORMALIZATION TOP THE AGENDA AS BIDEN EMBARKS ON TRIP TO ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA
The Biden administration continues to push the deal forward while also claiming that "Iran presents a regional and global threat."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Asked by Israeli journalist Yonit Levy in the interview about Biden saying he'd do anything to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons and whether that meant using force against Iran, the president responded, "If that was the last resort, yes."
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital, "If preventing a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic is the goal, resurrecting a deal that even by 2015 standards was fatally flawed and nothing more than a time-out is the exact opposite approach."
President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, right and President Isaac Herzog, left, as they participate in an arrival ceremony after Biden arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Tel Aviv. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ((AP Photo/Evan Vucci))
"Blaming Trump for the Iran policy impasse is old news," he said. "The Biden administration promised early in 2021 to make sure politics stops at water’s edge. Going to Israel and invoking the evolving Iranian nuclear threat as being the result of his predecessor does the exact opposite."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A deal that rewards those who support Iran’s terrorist apparatus only makes sense if the goal is not to vigorously confront that apparatus to begin with," he added.
BIDEN SHAKES HANDS WITH NETANYAHU DURING MIDDLE EAST TRIP
The Israeli stance remains important as both Biden and Israeli officials today reaffirmed the partnership and "important strategic ties" between both nations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}IDF Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi said, "The operational cooperation and close coordination between the United States and the State of Israel constitute an additional component of the important strategic alliance between the two countries."
"The strategic ties between our militaries are integral in maintaining stability and facing shared threats in the Middle East, and we are striving to expand our cooperation and to create a variety of new opportunities in the air, at sea and on land," he said. "Our relationship with the United States is a significant component in preserving regional stability in the face of the ongoing strategic race with the Iranian regime, which not only endangers the State of Israel, but is a regional and global threat which countries in the region must act against together."
BIDEN'S MIDDLE EAST VISIT CAN'T BE A ONE-OFF IF US WANTS TO TRULY REPAIR RELATIONS IN THE REGION
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden viewed the IDF's aerial defense systems, including the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, the Arrow Defense System, the David’s Sling System, and the new Iron Beam Laser Air Defense System.
The aerial defense systems are a product of cutting-edge Israeli technology and provide a response to the wide range of multi-tiered threats in different areas. These systems form the multi-tiered aerial line of defense and protect the lives of Israeli civilians, among them the threats posed by the Iranian regime.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The defense systems presented to President Biden constitute a significant component of the IDF’s defensive preparations against the Iranian regime and its terror proxies in the region. The IDF is invested in preserving the State of Israel's qualitative military edge in the region and in maintaining security for its civilians.