Biden: U.S. will not block Israeli strike on Iran

JERUSALEM – The U.S. will not stand in the way if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes Israeli military action is needed to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat, Vice President Joe Biden said during an interview with ABC News today.

The statements mark the first time the Obama administration has openly put on the table a possible Israeli military strike against Iran.

"Look, Israel can determine for itself – it's a sovereign nation – what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," Biden told ABC's George Stephanoupolos in a pre-taped interview.

Stephanoupolos asked if Israel can still attack without U.S. approval.

"Whether we agree or not," replied the vice president.

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Continued Biden: "They're entitled to do that. Any sovereign nation is entitled to do that. But there is no pressure from any nation that's going to alter our behavior as to how to proceed. What we believe is in the national interest of the United States, which we, coincidentally, believe is also in the interest of Israel and the whole world.

"And so there are separate issues. If the Netanyahu government decides to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is their sovereign right to do that," Biden said. "That is not our choice."

Stephanopoulos persisted: "But just to be clear here, if the Israelis decide Iran is an existential threat, they have to take out the nuclear program, militarily the United States will not stand in the way?"

"Look, we cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do," Biden stated.

Stephanopoulos pointed out the U.S. can deny Israeli over-flights of Iraq – one of the main aerial routes to strike Iran from the Jewish state.

"We can stand in the way of a military strike," the ABC host said.

Biden replied: "I'm not going to speculate, George, on those issues, other than to say Israel has a right to determine what's in its interests, and we have a right and we will determine what's in our interests."

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