Biden says US would use force as ‘last resort’ to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons
US President Joe Biden is in Israel for talks at the start of his first Middle East trip. Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Mr Biden at Ben Gurion International Airport on his “journey of peace” to the region.
After a defence briefing, Mr Biden met with Holocaust survivors at the Yad Vashem museum and was seen wiping away tears after a solemn ceremony. Later, in an interview with Israeli television, the president said that US would use force as a “last resort” to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Mr Biden will later travel to Saudi Arabia with the goal “to reorient — but not rupture” the United States’ relationship with Riyadh and take a tougher stance toward the kingdom.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said the Biden administration believes “there is a capacity” for Saudi Arabia and the other Opec nations to boost oil production enough to lower the high fuel prices that have been a major driver of inflation worldwide.
Gas prices are top of mind for American consumers, and a real political headache for the Biden administration with months to go before the crucial midterm elections in November.
