Cheney: Iran tops U.S. list, warns Israel
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-21 10:59

US Vice President Dick Cheney said on Thursday that Iran was at the top of the administration's list of world trouble spots and expressed concern that Israel "might well decide to act first" to eliminate any nuclear threat from Tehran.

"You look around the world at potential trouble spots, Iran is right at the top of the list," Cheney said in an interview aired on MSNBC.

US Vice President Dick Cheney (L) takes the Oath of Office from Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert during Inauguartion ceremonies on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 20. 2005. With Cheney is his wife Lynne. [Reuters]

"Given the fact that Iran has a stated policy that their objective is the destruction of Israel, the Israelis might well decide to act first and let the rest of the world worry about cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterwards," he said.

"We don't want a war in the Middle East if we can avoid it. And certainly in the case of the Iranian situation, I think everybody would be best suited by or best treated and dealt with if we could deal with it diplomatically," Cheney added.

Close