"It's not what the international community wants, it's not what we want," he said, while citing US President George W. Bush's phrase that "you can't take any option off the table."

"But it is important that Iran understands that at the moment it is doing two groups of things that are really unsettling the international community," Blair said, citing firstly the development of "nuclear weapons capability."

Secondly, the Iranian "are, around the region, deliberately fomenting sectarianism and conflict when they should be responsibly backing, again, the will of the international community."

He added that it was "important to distinguish between the Iranian people, who I suspect are equally dismayed at the strategy of the Iranian government, and that government themselves.

"If they change that strategy... I think they would find that a whole series of doors would open up to them."

And he added: "The fact is that it is trying to prevent reconciliation across the region and I think that is very shortsighted and very foolish."

"For example if they were to play a constructive role on Iraq it would be of immense help to the international community, it would also actually be of immense help to Iran in the end since they don't want chaos on their borders."

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