UNITED NATIONS, Oct 25: Former US President Jimmy Carter declared on Thursday that “any military attack on Iran would be a horrible mistake and a tragedy.”

Talking to reporters at the United Nations headquarters following a meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon, Mr Carterasserted: “I think what we should be doing is negotiating and consulting with the Iranian leaders telling them we do not intend to attack Iran”.

“We should also tell the Iranian leaders not to develop nuclear weapons”, he added.

Mr Carter also expressed hope that the “rumours” about US attack on Iran are just that “rumours” and not a real threat.

Mr Carter who was the president of the United States in 1979 during the Iranian hostage taking and siege of the US embassy in Tehran following the return of Ayataullah Khomeni from exile.