President Joe Biden vowed on Monday never to let Iran obtain a nuclear arsenal, just one day after potentially complicating negotiations on the subject with a series of airstrikes against Iranian-backed militants.
Biden told reporters at the top of his Oval Office meeting with outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin that both Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s regional safety would be core topics of their Monday conversation.
“What I could say is that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch,” Biden claimed.
On the airstrikes themselves, Biden reiterated comments made earlier in the day by White House press secretary Jen Psaki that justified the attacks through Article 2 of the Constitution.
“The targeted strikes were directed at facilities used by Iran-backed militias involved in these ongoing attacks for purposes including storage and command logistics and unmanned vehicle operations,” the White House’s top spokeswoman told reporters during Monday’s briefing. “So Article 2, the self-defense, defense of the United States, and our interests is our domestic justification for these strikes announced yesterday.”
Biden similarly stated that the strikes targeted “sites used by the Iranian-backed militia groups responsible for recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq.”
“I had that authority under Article 2, and even those up on the Hill who are reluctant to acknowledge that acknowledge that’s the case,” he added.
The air strikes targeted “sites used by the Iranian-backed militia groups responsible for recent attacks on US personnel in Iraq,” @potus says. “I had that authority under Article II and even those up on the Hill who are reluctant to acknowledge that acknowledge that’s the case.” pic.twitter.com/FHbFxJlhuV
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2021
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This is a developing story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
