US Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday described Iran as an obstacle to peace in the Middle East and said the world could not allow it to develop a nuclear weapon.
"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences,"
Mr Cheney told a forum organised by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
"Our country and the entire international community cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfils its most aggressive ambitions," he said.
Mr Cheney discussed Iran in a speech in which he emphasised the importance of US engagement in the Middle East and said the United States seeks stability there but not the kind that "simply keeps a lid on" problems.
Mr Cheney's comments underscored a increase in US rhetoric toward Tehran and came just days after President George W. Bush warned that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to world war three.