Nuclear-armed Iran

Accordingly, Biden dedicated much of his visit to comfort Israel on its primary security concern, namely Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, repeatedly underlining U.S. resolve to wall off the Islamic republic from atomic weapons.

"Looming over all our efforts in this region is the shadow cast by Iran," whose leadership "flouts the will of the world by pursuing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism," said Biden during his Thursday speech, adding "The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, period."

Consolidating his argument, the veep stressed that "the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran is also a threat to the security, short-term, mid-term and long-term to the United States" and that "many other countries in this region and around the world strongly oppose a nuclear-armed Iran."

Regarding the U.S. efforts to engage the Iranian leadership since the beginning of Obama's presidency, a policy that causes Israel deep anxiety as it sees a nuclear-armed as an existential threat, Biden said that Obama applied the new approach "for the purpose of changing their conduct, knowing full well how difficult that may be, but also knowing that if they fail to respond, we will be in a much stronger position to rally the international community to impose consequences for their actions."

Noting that Iran has so far refused to cooperate, Biden said that the Islamic republic's defiance has set the stage for the Obama administration to mobilize the world to impose "meaningful sanctions" upon Iran, which would force the Iranian leadership to make a choice "follow international rules, or face harsh penalties and further isolation."

Biden's latest remarks mirrored recent reassuring comments he made in talks with his Israeli hosts. At the joint press conference with Netanyahu, he pledged that the Obama administration is "determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons" and is "working with many countries around the world to convince Tehran to meet international obligations and cease and desist."

The Jewish state and the United States have long been accusing Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, a charge the Islamic public firmly denies. The Jewish state has also carried out an intensive public-relations campaign calling for "crippling sanctions" upon Iran and has insisted on keeping the military option alive.