Posted BY: Daily Mail
Joe Biden started the first visit Middle East tour of his presidency on Wednesday.
He faces the monumental task of assuring uneasy Israeli and Saudi Arabian officials that he’s committed to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
The 46th president begins the visit Wednesday with a three-day stop in Israel, where officials say Iran’s quickly evolving nuclear program is at the top of their agenda.
Trending: Over 1.6 Million Vaccinated New Yorkers Have Caught COVID-19
Biden, 79, made reviving the Iran nuclear deal, brokered by Barack Obama in 2015 and abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018, a key priority as he entered office.
Indirect talks for the United States to reenter the deal have stalled as Iran has made rapid gains in developing its nuclear program, leaving the Biden administration increasingly pessimistic about resurrecting the deal, which placed significant restrictions on Iran in exchange for sanctions relief.
Shortly after his arrival in Israel on Wednesday, Biden is expected to get a briefing on the country’s new ‘Iron Beam’ missile defense system and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
In addition to meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials, he’s slated to receive Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor and visit with US athletes taking part in the Maccabiah Games, which involve thousands of Jewish and Israeli athletes from around the globe.
