U.S., Israel pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapon

JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint declaration in Jerusalem on Thursday, vowing to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration was signed on the second day of Biden's Middle East trip, and the United States pledged not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon even at the cost of using "all elements of its national power."

The United States affirmed its commitment to work together with other partners "to confront Iran's aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies."

Speaking during a joint press conference with Lapid, Biden said that Israel is facing "threats."

There has been "an ironclad commitment from the United States of America to Israel's security," he said, adding "we'll make sure Israel can defend itself, by itself."

Echoing Israel's hope for a stronger U.S. action against Iran, Lapid said the only thing that will stop Tehran from becoming a nuclear power is to "put a credible military threat on the table."

Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, starting his first trip to the region during his presidency.

On Friday, he will travel to the West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In the afternoon, he will fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for talks with Saudi officials, and participate in a summit with officials from regional countries.

Israel hopes that the visit will help to warm up ties with Saudi Arabia amid growing concerns over Iran's activities in the region and its nuclear program. Biden is also expected to try to persuade Saudi Arabia to increase oil production amid the crisis in Ukraine.