US Secretary of State John Kerry has attempted to reassure Israel over the US-Russia agreement on Syria. During an official visit to Jerusalem, he said it provides the right framework to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

He also warned Syria that the US threat of force remains， if the weapons deal fails.

US Secretary of State John Kerry sent a strong warning to Syria. He said the US is still prepared to carry out military strikes if Syria does not fulfill its promise to hand over its chemical weapons.

He said, "The threat of force is real and the Assad regime and all those taking part need to understand that President Obama and the United States are committed to achieve this goal. We cannot have hollow words in the conduct of international affairs because that affects all other issues, whether Iran or North Korea or any other."

The warning came during Kerry's visit to Israel, where he briefed Israeli leaders on the new US-Russian agreement to rid Syria of its chemical weapons by the middle of next year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the deal but said diplomacy will only work if coupled with a credible military threat.

Kerry stressed that the deal with Russia is merely a framework and much would depend on Damascus.

He said, "It is a framework, not a final agreement. It is a framework that must be put into effect by the United Nations now. But it is a framework that with the Russian and US agreement, it has the full ability to be able to - as the Prime Minister said - strip all of the chemical weapons from Syria. The Russians have agreed, they state that the Assad regime has agreed to make its declaration within one week of the location."

Kerry also said the deal serves as a marker for the international community as it deals with Iran's controversial nuclear program.

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