Biden to Rivlin: Iran Will Never Get a Nuclear Weapon on my Watch

Iran

June 29th, 5:24am

Asharq Al-Awsat

US President Joe Biden meets with Israel's President Reuven Rivlin at the White House in Washington, US June 28, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Joe Biden on Monday reassured Israel's president, ahead of a visit by new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, that the United States will not permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons. "Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch," Biden told President Reuven Rivlin in the White House. After the talks in the Oval Office, Rivlin told reporters that he was "very much satisfied" by Biden's comments on Iran and said Israel and Washington "have to cooperate." In his comments, Biden also dismissed congressional critics who have questioned his legal authority in ordering airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias accused of attacking US personnel in Syria and Iraq. "I have that authority," Biden said. A source familiar with the Biden-Rivlin meeting said Biden was expected to tell Rivlin that the United States and Israel share the same objective, that Iran not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and that Biden would stress US support for Israel's right to defend itself. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the meeting would "highlight the strength of the relationship from our shared interest in security and stability." Psaki said there was no date yet for Bennett's White House trip but "the president looks forward to hosting the prime minister and it's soon."

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