US President Joe Biden said that Iran wants to destroy Israel forever and erase the only Jewish state in the world from the map, stressing that Washington should never accept this matter, “not only because it stands by its friends, but also because its security is at stake.”

He added - in an article published today in the Wall Street Journal - that if Iran escalates its attack on Israel significantly, the United States may be drawn into it.

He added, "Israel is our strongest partner in the Middle East, and it is unreasonable for us to stand idly by if its defenses weaken and Iran is able to carry out the destruction it intended to carry out" during its recent attack.

The US President stressed that the United States can make this scenario less likely, by renewing Israeli air defenses and providing the necessary military assistance to Israel now, so that its defenses remain fully prepared.

"Now is not the time to abandon our friends," he said, calling on the US House of Representatives to pass urgent legislation related to the national security of Israel and Ukraine, as well as the humanitarian aid that the Palestinians desperately need in Gaza.

He explained that if Congress approves this military aid to both Israel and Ukraine, it will not mean “granting blank checks,” but rather it will mean sending military equipment from our own stocks, and then using the funds authorized by Congress to replenish those stocks by purchasing from American suppliers.

Biden stressed that he was clear about his concerns about the safety of civilians in Gaza in light of the ongoing war there, but this aid package focuses on Israel's long-term defense needs to ensure its ability to maintain its military superiority against Iran or any other opponent, as he put it.