US vows to use all means in new Israel pact

The US and Israel signed a new security pact on Thursday reinforcing their common front against Iran, as President Joe Biden pledged to use "all" American power to stop the Islamic republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The Jerusalem Declaration on joint security was inked by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Biden, as the US leader was making his first trip to the Middle East as president.

It commits the United States to "never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon", stating that it "is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome".

A landmark deal that imposed curbs on Iran's suspect nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief was torpedoed in 2018 by former US president Donald Trump. Efforts to revive the accord have been stalled since March.

Asked on Thursday how long the US was prepared to give those efforts, Biden said "we're not going to wait forever" for a response from the Islamic republic.

Israel, which has the Middle East's sole but undeclared nuclear arsenal, is staunchly opposed to the deal with Iran, which has always denied seeking the bomb.

"Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table," Lapid told reporters alongside Biden.