"We certainly hope that Iran will allow Iraq to develop into a stable and peaceful society. We have sent the word to the Iranians that that's what we expect," Bush told NBC television in his first exclusive interview since the war in Iraq began.

Asked whether Iran's failure to cooperate would make it a target of US military action, Bush replied: "Well, no. We just expect them to cooperate, and we will work with the world to encourage them to cooperate."

The US leader said he had spoken to prime ministers Tony Blair of Britain and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain on Wednesday, and that they would "send the same message" via their contacts with Iran.

Earlier, Tehran angrily rejected US allegations of "interference" in Iraq, warning its troops not to cross into Iran and voicing alarm over a deal between the US military and the Iraq-based People's Mujahedeen opposition group.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said US forces patrolling the Iran-Iraq border -- in what Washington says is an operation aimed at preventing Iranian infiltration -- should beware of the "red line" represented by the border.

"There is no Iranian interference in Iraq's internal affairs," Kharazi asserted during a joint press conference with visiting French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.

Saying US forces on the border were "not a new phenomenon" since the beginning of the war on Iraq, Kharazi added, "it is clear that we are going to defend our frontiers; the red line passes along the line of our borders."

The White House said Wednesday it had warned Iran against "any outside interference" in Iraq and begun military patrols near the border, amid concerns that Tehran may have sent agents across to push its brand of Islamic government.

SPACE.WIRE