JERUSALEM (AP) – President Joe Biden has opened a Mideast visit by offering anxious Israeli leaders strong reassurances of his determination to stop Iran’s nuclear program. Biden said he’d be willing to use force “as a last resort.” The president’s comments came in an interview aired Wednesday with Israel’s Channel 12 as Biden opened a four-day visit to the region. The U.S. and Israel are expected to unveil a joint declaration on Thursday cementing their close military ties and strengthening past calls to take military action against Iran’s growing nuclear program. Israel has said both countries would commit to “using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.”