Bush warns Iran against meddling in Iraq

By Jeremy Pelofsky

RENO, Nevada (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday accused Iran, like al Qaeda, of fomenting instability in the Middle East, and said one way to counter Tehran's ambitions was to win the Iraq war.

He also warned that extremist forces would be emboldened if the United States were driven out of the region, leaving Iran to pursue a nuclear weapon and set off an arms race.

"Iran could conclude that we were weak and could not stop them from gaining nuclear weapons," Bush said.

Bush and other U.S. officials have long accused Iran of supplying weapons to insurgents in Iraq, but in a speech to veterans the president hardened his stance by lumping Tehran and al Qaeda together.

"The most important and immediate way to counter the ambitions of al Qaeda and Iran and other forces of instability and terror is to win the fight in Iraq," Bush said.

His verbal attack on Iran came just hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the power of the United States was rapidly collapsing in Iraq and that Tehran was ready to step in to help fill the vacuum.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said there was no change in U.S. policy toward Iran.

The United States is leading efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear program, which western countries contend is aimed at building bombs. Iran denies those accusations and says it is only seeking nuclear-generated electricity.