WASHINGTON, Jan 26: President George W. Bush has authorised US forces in Iraq to take whatever actions are necessary to counter ‘Iranian agents’ deemed a threat to American troops or the public at large, the White House said on Friday.

''It makes sense that if somebody's trying to harm our troops, or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them,'' Bush said. ''It's an obligation we all have ... to protect our folks and achieve our goal.''

The aggressive new policy came in response to intelligence that Iran is supporting terrorists inside Iraq and is providing bombs -- known as improvised explosive devices -- and other equipment to anti-US insurgents.

''The president and his national security team over the last several months have continued to receive information that Iranians were supplying IED equipment and or training that was being used to harm American soldiers,'' National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.''As a result American forces, when they receive actionable information, may take the steps necessary to protect themselves as well as the population,'' Johndroe said.

Bush referred to the new policy in his Jan. 10 address to the United States in which he announced a build-up of 21,500 troops in Iraq.—AP