US President Joe Biden reiterated upon arrival in Israel on Wednesday that the only thing worse than Iran now is an Iran with nuclear weapons.”

Biden told Israel’s Channel 12 that he still believes the US should return to the 2015 nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), noting that the decision is now in Iran’s hands.

About whether the US would use force to stop Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon, Biden said "as a last resort, yes."

He, however, once again rejected Iran’s demand that the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) be taken off Washington’s list of foreign terrorist organizations as part of any agreement. Asked if he would hold to that position even if it meant no deal, Biden said, “Yes.”

Israel was a staunch opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal and welcomed then-President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from it, which led to its unraveling, a decision Biden calls a “gigantic mistake” that accelerated Iran’s progress towards a nuclear weapon.

He declined to comment on any discussions with Israel about using military force against Iran, but assured Jerusalem that he will work with whomever is elected as Israel’s next prime minister, even Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he has had strained relations. “We’re committed to the state, not an individual leader.”

“In order to stop regimes like Iran, economic sanctions are not enough, diplomatic sanctions are not enough. There is no way to stop Iran without a credible military threat,” said Netanyahu, who was not part of the official greeting ceremony for the US president but did shake his hand.