Biden camp denies Iran nuke comment

JERUSALEM, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden never said Israel would have to accept Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, his spokesman said Monday.

Army Radio in Israel reported Biden, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Jerusalem officials three years ago he opposed an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and Israel would likely have to come to grips with a nuclear-armed Iran, The Jerusalem Post reported.

"This is a lie peddled by partisan opponents of Senators (Barack) Obama and Biden and we will not tolerate anyone questioning Senator Biden's 35-year record of standing up for the security of Israel," Biden press secretary David Wade said in a statement. "Senator Biden has consistently stated -- publicly and privately -- that a nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat to Israel and the United States and that we must prevent a nuclear Iran."

Israel's Army Radio, which provided no sources for its report and did not name the Jerusalem officials to whom Biden allegedly spoke, contended the Delaware senator had expressed doubt about the effectiveness of economic sanctions against Iran.