Washington: President George W Bush said today that plans for a US led missile defence system in Europe are urgently needed to counter an emerging threat of attack by Iran.

"If Iran chooses to do so, and the international community does not take steps to prevent, it is possible Iran could have this capability," Bush said, "and we need to take it seriously now."

Bush's latest warning about Iran's nuclear ambitions came in a broad defence of his security polices at the National defences University. He said that intelligence estimates show that Iran could have the capability to strike the United States and many European allies by 2015. "The need for missile defence in Europe is real, and I believe it s urgent," Bush added.

Bush's warning about Iran was contradicted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a visit to Tokyo. He said US-Led missile defence initiatives in Europe and Asia are based on an erroneous assessment of the threat posed by Iran.

"North Korea poses a fundamental threat, but Iran does not," Lavrov was quoted as telling Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Kourma.

Bush sought to allay Russians concerns and draw Moscow in, portraying the proposed system as a "cooperative effort, against an emerging threat that affects us all".

He spoke somewhat positively of President Vladimir Putin's offer of facilities for this purpose in Azerbaijan and southern Russia. The idea would be to replace the US plans for missiles based in Poland and a radar facility in the Czech Republic.

Source : PTI