"President (George W.) Bush is determined to try and find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the problem of Iran pursuing nuclear weapons," Under Secretary of State John Bolton, who is responsible for nuclear proliferation issues, told reporters after talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.

"But we are determined that they are not going to achieve a nuclear weapons capability".

Iran insists that its atomic programme is purely peaceful but the United States and Israel in particular fear it conceals efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

Israel, which now views Iran as its number one enemy after the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, has been lobbying hard for greater pressure to be exerted on Tehran.

"Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons are obvious and all its efforts to hide it as a civil programme are in vain," said Shalom.

"Everyone is aware of the fact that it will be a less stable world and we will be living in a nightmare if Iran gets its hands on such weapons."

Israel itself refuses to confirm it has a nuclear arsenal but is estimated to possess some 200 warheads.

The Israeli army's chief of staff also urged the international community to deal with the emerging nuclear threat posed by Iran.

"Iran getting non-conventional weapons capabilities will be a disaster for the stability of the Middle East," General Moshe Yaalon told delegates at an international terrorism conference near Tel Aviv.

"It's not just Israel's challenge, it is up to the world to deal with it, either politically or economically.

"If not, we will have to reassess our position," he added without elaborating.

In 1981, Israeli warplanes destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear facility after intelligence confirmed Baghdad's intention of producing weapons there.

Iran has consistently warned that it would retaliate if Israel launched any attack on its nuclear facilities.

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