9:28pm UK, Monday October 24, 2005

Tony Blair has sent a warning to Iran, saying life could become "a lot more difficult" if the nation continued to defy thei nternational community.

180 soldier basra burning tank

Iran is accused of complicity in attacks on British troops

He was speaking to James Rubin, former advisor to Bill Clinton, on Sky's new World News Tonight show.

British officials have recently accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of giving Iraqi insurgents bomb-making technology that they have used in attacks on British troops in Iraq.

Mr Blair himself said explosive devices, that have killed eight British troops in southern Iraq since May, were similar to those used by the Iranian-linked militant group Hezbollah.

Mr Blair said Tehran must allow Iraq to develop in the way its people want and it must stop supporting terrorism.

Mr Blair also said that Iran must abide by its nuclear weapons obligations.

"Iran has to realize that there is the possibility of having a different relationship with the western world but only on the basis of certain very clear things," he said.