Foreign Policy

Biden Says U.S. Won't Wait 'Forever' For Iran On Nuclear Deal

Iran announced last week that it has enriched uranium to 60% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade quality.

Biden Says U.S. Won't Wait 'Forever' For Iran On Nuclear Deal
Evan Vucci / AP
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President Joe Biden said Thursday that the United States is "not going to wait forever" for Iran to rejoin a dormant nuclear deal, a day after saying he'd be willing to use force as a last resort against Tehran if necessary.

President Biden made the comments at a news conference after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid following one-on-one talks in which they discussed Iran's rapidly progressing nuclear program.

"We've laid out for the leadership of Iran what we're willing to accept in order to get back into the JCPOA. We're waiting for their response. When that will come, I'm not certain," President Biden said, using an acronym for the Iran nuclear deal. "But we're not going to wait forever."

Resurrecting the nuclear deal brokered by Barack Obama's administration and abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018 was a key priority for President Biden as he entered office. But administration officials have become increasingly pessimistic about the chances of Iran returning to compliance.

In Mideast, Biden Cites 'Bone Deep' Bond Between U.S. And Israel
In Mideast, Biden Cites 'Bone Deep' Bond Between U.S. And Israel

In Mideast, Biden Cites 'Bone Deep' Bond Between U.S. And Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog made clear that Iran's nuclear program will be a central focus in their discussions.

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President Biden and Lapid discussed Iran's rapidly progressing nuclear program, with the Israeli leader vowing afterward that "there will be no nuclear Iran."

The U.S. president, who is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday, said he also stressed to Lapid the importance of Israel becoming "totally integrated" in the region.

Their talks are the centerpiece of a 48-hour visit by President Biden aimed at strengthening already tight relations between the U.S and Israel. The leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration later Thursday emphasizing military cooperation and a commitment to preventing Iran, which Israel considers an enemy, from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"We discussed the Iranian threat," Lapid told reporters afterward. "There will be no nuclear Iran."

Israeli officials have sought to use President Biden's first visit to the Middle East as president to underscore that Iran's nuclear program has progressed too far and encourage the Biden administration t o scuttle efforts to revive a 2015 agreement with Iran to limit its development.

President Biden, in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 that aired Wednesday, offered strong assurances of his determination to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, saying he'd be willing to use force as a "last resort" if necessary.

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Putin Set To Visit Iran Next Week

Putin Set To Visit Iran Next Week

The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Iran next week, after the U.S. warned that Tehran could provide Moscow with drones.

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Iran announced last week that it has enriched uranium to 60% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade quality.

The joint declaration being announced Thursday could hold important symbolic importance for President Biden's meeting this weekend with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as he seeks to strengthen a regionwide alliance against Iran.

"I talked about how important it was … for Israel to be totally integrated in the region," President Biden said after the meeting with Lapid.

Thursday's meeting could also provide a boost to Lapid, who is serving as interim prime minister until elections in November, Israel's fifth in less than four years. Lapid's main opponent is the former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the joint appearance with President Biden could help burnish his credentials as a statesman and leader.

President Biden and Lapid are also scheduled to hold a joint news conference Thursday and participate in a virtual summit with India and the United Arab Emirates, a collection of countries called the I2U2. The United Arab Emirates will help finance a $2 billion project supporting agriculture in India.

Lapid, 58, is a former journalist and television anchor who entered politics only a decade ago. He served as finance minister under Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, before becoming leader of the opposition and cobbling together a diverse, eight-party coalition ending Netanyahu's government.

Naftali Bennett became prime minister, with Lapid as his foreign minister. But the coalition collapsed after months of infighting, and Bennett agreed to step aside for Lapid until the election.

Lapid worked hard to solidify his credentials as a statesman while foreign minister. His aides believe the private face time, public appearances and demonstrations of friendship with President Biden — who, at 79, is making his 10th trip to Israel — will strengthen that image and get the electorate more comfortable with the idea of Lapid as their leader.

However, Netanyahu is running for prime minister again, and opinion polls have projected that his conservative Likud party will win the most seats in the next election, well ahead of Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party.

Neither party is poised to singlehandedly capture the majority of seats needed to form a government, and it is unclear whether either man could cobble together a ruling coalition with smaller parties.

President Biden played down the political uncertainty in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 that aired Wednesday.

"We're committed to the state, not an individual leader," he said.

President Biden didn't mention the election during the public portion of Thursday's meeting with Lapid, but told reporters "we had a good beginning of a long, God willing, relationship."

President Biden is expected to meet only briefly with Netanyahu, with whom he's had a rocky relationship in the past.

Much like Lapid, President Biden also faces a political threat from his predecessor. Trump, an ally of Netanyahu who still enjoys strong support from Republican voters despite his attempt to overturn the last election, may run for another term.

Asked by Channel 12 if he expected a rematch, President Biden replied, "I'm not predicting, but I would not be disappointed."

Given the U.S.'s status as Israel's closest and most important ally, President Biden is at the center of the country's attention during his visit.

Israel staged an elaborate welcoming ceremony for him at the Tel Aviv airport, including a red carpet and a band that played the national anthem of both countries. Major television channels set up special live coverage of President Biden's arrival, and even broadcast a nonstop loop of his motorcade traveling on the highway to Jerusalem.

Israel opposed the original nuclear deal, reached under President Obama in 2015, because its limitations on Iran's nuclear enrichment would expire and the agreement didn't address Iran's ballistic missile program or military activities in the region.

Instead of the U.S. reentering the deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, Israel would prefer strict sanctions in hopes of leading to a more sweeping accord.

President Biden also will receive Israel's top civilian honor, the presidential medal of honor, from President Isaac Herzog on Thursday.

He's also scheduled to meet with U.S. athletes participating in the Maccabiah Games. Also known as the "Jewish Olympics," it's the country's largest sporting event and held every four years for Israeli and Jewish athletes from all over the world.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.