US President Joe Biden called on Iran to return to the nuclear agreement, reiterating his refusal to remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from the list of terrorism, at the beginning of his visit to Israel;
The first stop on his tour of the region.
The files of security stability and the integration of Israel in the region are among the most prominent agendas on which the visit will focus, which also includes the Palestinian territories and then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Biden is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and then he will head to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.
Before leaving Washington for Israel, which he arrived on Wednesday, the US president said - in a television interview with Israeli Channel 12 - that the military option against Iran will remain present, but it will be the last option.
President Biden stressed that he will not remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from the list of terrorism, even if it costs not to reach an agreement with Iran, noting that efforts to return to work under the previous agreement with Iran with its strengthening are still continuing.
Biden stressed during the television interview that the United States will return to the Middle East because the vacuum it left has brought China and Russia back to the region.
Tehran is closely monitoring the US President's visit to the region, especially the aspect related to integrating Israeli air defenses with Arab countries.
And Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi warned that his country would respond to any move targeting it.
Biden also touched on the Russian war on Ukraine, and said that it may extend for years, but he pointed out that he succeeded in uniting Europe in the face of Russia and defending Ukraine.
Biden was asked whether he would run for a new presidential term, but he seemed hesitant and indecisive, and said that the time was still early, and that many things could change within the Democratic Party.
Iranian position
On the other hand, the Iranian president said today, Wednesday, that his country is carefully monitoring developments in the region, and will not lose sight of any movement in it, stressing that his country has not abandoned the nuclear agreement, and that the policy of maximum pressure has not achieved its goals.
Raisi added that they have repeatedly told the Americans that Iran will respond firmly to the slightest move targeting its territorial integrity, noting that Washington's efforts in the region will not achieve security for Israel.
For his part, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called on the United States to stop efforts to form a regional alliance and respect the sovereignty of the countries of the region, stressing that the countries supporting Israel bear responsibility for any illegal Israeli action against his country.
Kanaani said - during a press conference in Tehran today - that achieving stability in the region requires a practical change in the behavior of the United States, which he described as "disruptive."
He added that any attempts to destabilize the region's security will affect all its countries, stressing that Iran is ready to extend a hand of friendship to the countries of the region in order to enhance security and stability.
Objectives of the visit
Returning to his regional tour, the US president outlined its goals in an article he published in the "Washington Post" a few days ago, indicating that it comes at a vital time for the region and will contribute to promoting American interests.
He also talked about a new and promising chapter for the American role, stressing that the existence of a more secure and integrated Middle East would benefit the Americans in many ways.
Biden pledged to support what he called "promising trends" for stability, stressing his country's efforts to deepen rapprochement between some Arab countries and Israel.
In his article, he saw that Iran has become isolated until it returns to the nuclear agreement, pledging to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran "until its compliance" with the agreement, but he avoided referring to any other possible scenarios if those pressures fail.
Regarding Saudi Arabia - in which his article is titled - Biden said that it has been a strategic partner for 80 years, and that strengthening that partnership will be based on mutual interests and responsibilities while adhering to what he called "basic American values", stressing that his goal has always been to redirect relations with Riyadh, not sever them.
Biden also spoke about Riyadh's role in stabilizing global oil markets and curbing prices, stressing that the Middle East's water corridors are necessary for global trade, and that its energy resources are vital to mitigate the impact on global supplies due to Russia's war on Ukraine.
He also touched on the war in Yemen, noting that his country's diplomacy was the one that accomplished the current ongoing truce, saying that the past few months in Yemen were the safest in seven years because of that truce.