Biden, Ryan trade barbs on Iran

That stance has also alienated Israel, who in recent weeks has been
aggressively pushing for a preemptive military strike against Iran’s
program.

{mosads}Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Obama administration have
been at odds over whether an armed response would deter Iran’s pursuit
of nuclear weapons.

The sanctions themselves, according to Ryan, have been “watered down”
to the point of being ineffective, due to pressure coming from Russia,
Iran’s most powerful ally in the international community, according to
Ryan.

The end result, Ryan added, is the Obama White House has “no
credibility on the issue” in the United States and around the world.

In response, Biden said the hardline strategy on Iran championed by
Romney campaign would put America on the path to another war in the
Mideast.

The sanctions backed by the White House and U.S allies have been “the
most devastating” measures imposed on Iran since the inception of its
nuclear program.

During the debate, Biden pressed Ryan on how exactly a Romney
administration could squeeze the Iranian government any further than what
has been done already.

“Unless he’s talking about going to war” with Iran, the vice president
shot back.

“War should always be the last resort,” Biden added.

That said, Biden pointed out that Tehran still has a long way to go
before it has a viable nuclear weapon that can strike targets in
Israel and elsewhere.

Despite Tehran’s enrichment efforts, “they do not have a weapon to put
it into,” Biden said

On Israel, Biden shot back that President Obama and Netanyahu have met
personally to discuss the Iranian program “dozens of times,” saying
both leaders are on the same page regarding the country’s process.

Should military action be taken, by either Israel or the United
States, against Iran’s nuclear program, it would only delay the effort by
one to two years at most, according to recent assessments.