Washington: US President-elect Barack Obama has said that he is prepared for immediate American involvement in the Middle East peace process and Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Obama, who takes over on Jan 20,said that there could be delay in his election pledge to shut down Guantanamo Bay prison camps, but indicated reluctance to probe the charges that previous administration evesdropped and tapped public at large.

Appearing in the ABC News programme This Week just days ahead of his swearing-in, Obama pledged to take prompt action "from day one" on the Middle East peace process and warned that Iran's nuclear ambitions might trigger arms race in the region.

"What I am doing right now is putting together the team so that on January 20th, starting on day one, we have the best possible people who are going to be immediately engaged in the Middle East peace process as a whole, Obama said on ABC News programme This Week .

"That are going to be engaging with all of the actors there. That will work to create a strategic approach that ensures that both Israelis and Palestinians can meet their aspirations," Obama said replying to a query on Gaza conflict.

Israel indicated yesterday that it was mulling to stop its war on Hamas, amid clashes of an offensive that has killed nearly 900 people in the Gaza Strip.

Source : PTI