A former Israeli commander says the West must consider assassinating Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to halt Tehran's nuclear program.

Former Israeli Army Chief of Staff Moshe "Boogie" Ya'alon told the Australian daily The Sydney Morning Herald that the West should consider all options to stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear drive, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday.

"We have to confront the Iranian revolution immediately," Ya'alon said. "There is no way to stabilize the Middle East today without defeating the Iranian regime. The Iranian nuclear program must be stopped."

"We have to consider killing him (President Ahmadinejad). All options must be considered," the Israeli official added.

He claimed that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Persian Gulf littoral states would welcome any military strike against Iran.

Ya'alon said that he had been surprised when the US decided to go into Iraq instead of Iran in 2003.

The US and its allies have been accusing Iran of developing nuclear arms; Iran, however, says its nuclear activities are aimed at peaceful purposes. The UN nuclear watchdog has announced that it had not found any evidence proving the US's allegations against Iran.

Ya'alon had declared that he would join the hardliner Likud Party's list to participate in the faction's primaries.

SB/DA