Biden and Israeli PM Lapid agree there will be no nuclear weapons for Iran

President Biden on Thursday while in Israel signed a declaration pledging never to allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and committing to working with other countries to prevent Tehran from moving forward with destabilizing efforts in the region.

The agreement, called the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration, was announced after a summit in Jerusalem between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

The partnership reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel and seeks to build upon the foundation established by the Abraham Accords, which were introduced during the Trump administration.

A nuclear Iran, said Biden, would pose a global threat.

"I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome, and we'll continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region," the said during a press conference after the signing.

Israel's position, expressed by Lapid, is that diplomacy is not enough to deter Iran, which has long been explicit about its nuclear goals.

"The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force," he said. "The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table."

On Friday, Biden will make a stop in the West Bank and hold meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, before traveling to Saudi Arabia, a country that has also expressed worry about Iran's actions and nuclear capabilities. 

The Biden administration's relationship with the Saudis has been rocky, but there is hope that this visit will repair some of the lingering tensions and open up the door to an alternative oil source as Russia's war in Ukraine continues to drive up oil prices in the U.S. 

Biden has said that the grand goal of his trip to Saudi Arabia is to promote American interests and assert influence in the region. It is not, he said, equivalent to giving the House of Saud a pass on its human rights record, which includes its involvement in the high-profile assassination of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

During the conference in Jerusalem that followed the signing, Lapid commended Biden for flying from Tel Aviv to Saudi Arabia and asked to carry with him a message of peace to the leaders of Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Iraq, with whom he meet during his visit.