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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic will have a “harsh and regrettable response” to any “mistake” committed by Washington or its allies.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed the Jerusalem Declaration of the US-Israel Strategic Partnership on Thursday. The joint pledge renews assurances that the U.S. intends to deny Iran nuclear arms, a show of unity by allies long divided over diplomacy with Tehran.

“The great nation of Iran will not accept any insecurity or crisis in the region and Washington and its allies should know that any mistake will be met by a harsh and regrettable response from Iran,” Raisi said during a speech.

Washington and Israel have long expressed concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Iran insists it never had any ambition to make a nuclear bomb.

In addition to the focus on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the U.S. also agreed to work with Israel’s neighbors to deter Iran from using proxies to destabilize the region, pass a new Memorandum of Understanding which would provide more fiscal support, and fight against international efforts to boycott or delegitimize Israel as a nation.

Following the meeting with Lapid, Biden also reiterated his support of a “two-nation solution” to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which many Israeli politicians oppose.

He said the United States wanted to see a “lasting negotiated peace between the state of Israel and the Palestinian people”.

“Israel must remain an independent, democratic Jewish state,” he said.

“The best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution, for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security.”

Biden gave no detail and did not speak about reviving the stalled process to reach a settlement between the two sides.

A two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state sitting alongside the existing state of Israel has long been the favored solution for the international community but has appeared an increasingly distant prospect, with broad sections of Israeli politics opposed.

Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, backed Biden’s position, saying: “A two-state solution is a guarantee for a strong, democratic State of Israel with a Jewish majority.”

Reuters’ submissions included in article

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