SYDNEY, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has hinted military action against Iran is possible to keep Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In an interview with The Weekend Australian newspaper, Cheney said he had no doubt Iran is trying to enrich uranium to produce nuclear weapons.
He said he was "pretty close to agreement" with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that the only thing worse than a military confrontation with Iran would be a nuclear-armed Iran.
Cheney said nuclear terrorism is the greatest threat facing the world and, while the U.S. does not believe Iran possesses nuclear weapons yet, "you get various estimates on the point of no return."
"Is it when they possess weapons or does it come sooner, when they have mastered the technology but, perhaps, not yet produced fissile material for weapons?" he asked.
Cheney, on a three-day visit to Australia, held talks with Australian Premier John Howard Saturday on the question of Australia's commitment in Iraq and whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Earlier, in an address to the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue, Cheney warned of the dangers of pulling out of Iraq before Iraqis can properly defend themselves against terrorism.
Many jihadists would head for Afghanistan and others would undermine moderate governments in the Middle East, while other terrorist groups sought victims on other continents, he said.
"We have a duty to stand in their way," Cheney said.
