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Transcript/ScriptUS-MIDEAST (TV) HEADLINE: Diplomacy Best to Stop Iran Nuclear Ambitions, Biden Says, as Israel Pushes Military Option TEASER: US, Israel sign joint declaration to counter Tehran PUBLISHED: 7/14/2022 at 6:00 p.m. BYLINE: Patsy Widakuswara CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Jerusalem VIDEOGRAPHER: PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: Tom Turco, Holly Franko VIDEO SOURCE (S): AFP, Reuters, AP PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __ TRT: 2:22 VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath TYPE: TV EDITOR NOTES: Radio track included. There also is a companion WEB article. ))
((NOTE: NO USE VOA PERSIAN for Ebraim Raisi byte. Producer has provided text quote and photo to replace at https://f.io/UphW2Qym))
((INTRO: ))
[[U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid publicly differed on the best approach to counter the threat of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, as the two leaders signed a joint security declaration. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara is traveling with the president, and she has this report from Jerusalem.]]
((NARRATOR))
An Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor awarded to U.S. President Joe Biden.
((NARRATOR))
But earlier Thursday, a public disagreement between Biden and acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid about how to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
((Yair Lapid, Israeli Prime Minister))
“Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table."
((NARRATOR))
Biden said a nuclear-weapons-free Iran is a “vital security interest” for U.S. and Israel, but …
((President Joe Biden))
"I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome.”
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory CG: IRIB News Agency))
Israel opposed the 2015 deal to restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The U.S. is trying to get Tehran back to the agreement, including through ((Mandatory CG: DOCTV-IR)) indirect talks in Vienna.
Tehran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful and for energy production. ((end courtesy))
((NARRATOR))
After Biden and Lapid signed the Jerusalem Declaration on joint security, committing "never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," a warning came from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
((AFP V000_32EE8PH))
((NO USE VOA PERSIAN))
((Courtesy: IRIB News Agency))
((Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian President))
“I tell the Americans and their regional allies that the Iranian nation will not accept any crisis or insecurity in the region, and that any mistake made in this region will be met with a harsh and regrettable response.”
((NARRATOR))
To counter Iran, Washington is pushing for deeper ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, including the ongoing process of integrating the region’s missile defense systems.
((Radio track: Jonathan Rynhold, head of the political studies department at Bar-Ilan University, via Zoom))
((Jonathan Rynhold, Bar-Ilan University)) ((Zoom))
“It means that each of the countries will have more time to respond, which gives them more options, which helps the United States to contain conflicts because there's more time to deal with things.”
((NARRATOR))
Also Thursday, Biden and Lapid joined a virtual summit of the I2U2 – a new partnership between India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. – to address food security and clean energy.
((NARRATOR)) Biden met American Jewish athletes at the Maccabiah Games, and he will meet Palestinian leaders Friday before he heads to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
(( Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Jerusalem. ))
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