Washington: A Republican Congressman has warned that the possible use of military force by the United States or Israel to eliminate Iran's nuclear installations can make the war in Iraq more difficult.

In a statement titled 'The Case for Restraint in Iran', Jim Leach, a Republican Congressman from Iowa, points out that a war on Iran would invariably have repercussions in Iraq, as Shia's form a majority in that country too. Iran is a Shia majority country.

Spotlight: War on Iraq

"Iranian influence on majority Shia's of Iraq" can render the American efforts to "influence direction of change" in that country near "hopeless", he said adding that a strike on Iran would immediately provoke reaction in Iraq.

If Iran is cornered in this way, it would "tempt" it to cut back oil output, which will cripple the global economy, he said.

Leach said Iran was not a hopeless case as far as democracy is concerned. "Few societies in the world have more potential to move quickly in a democratic direction than Iran," he said.

Diplomacy and trade incentives should be used to encourage a dialogue with Iran, he said.