RENO (USA), Aug 28: The US president said on Tuesday that Iran end any support for militants in Iraq “at once” and raised the spectre of a “nuclear holocaust” in the Middle East if Tehran gets atomic weapons.

President George Bush branded Iran “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism”, citing its backing of Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the militants fighting US troops in Iraq.

“And Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” he told the American Legion veterans group.

“Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere, and the United States is rallying friends and allies to isolate Iran’s regime, to impose economic sanctions. We will confront this danger before it is too late,” he said.

Mr Bush, whose speech was billed a defence of US efforts in Iraq, said Tehran ‘must starve militants in Iraq of weapons, equipment and training’ whether or not Iran’s leaders know about such operations and have given their blessing.

“Either way, they cannot escape responsibility for aiding attacks against coalition forces and the murder of innocent Iraqis,” he said, as the White House warned in a statement that Iran must act “at once.”

Shortly before Bush spoke, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran and neighbouring countries were ready to fill the “power vacuum” emerging in the Middle East as US power in Iraq wanes.

Ahmadinejad also dismissed the chance of any US attack on Iran over its nuclear drive, saying a warning by his new French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, only showed his inexperience.

Bush also strongly defended US-led efforts in Iraq and especially his decision in January to send another 30,000 US troops there, describing the unpopular conflict as the central front against Iran and Al Qaeda.—AFP