Blair squares up to Iran

Jon Snow, Channel 4:

Tony Blair launched an unprecedented attack on Iran - after the country's president called for Israel to be "wiped off the face of the earth".

The prime minister, hosting European Union leaders at Hampton Court, spoke of his "real sense of revulsion" over President Ahmadinejad's comments, describing them as a "disgrace".

And he warned Iran the rest of the world would begin to see them as a threat to world security, if Iran kept up its belligerent stance - including its support for terrorism and its controversial nuclear programme.

He said they risked persuading people Iran really was a threat to world security.

Mr Blair said he would hold talks with allies on the matter in the next few days.

He said Iran was making a "very big mistake" if it thought the world would ignore the comments because it was distracted by other events. READ MORE

He said: "These sentiments are completely and totally unacceptable.

"I have never come across a situation of the president of a country saying they want to wipe out - not that they have got a problem with or an issue with - but want to wipe out another country.

"This is unacceptable and their attitude towards Israel, their attitude towards terrorism, their attitude on the nuclear weapons issue isn't acceptable."