British Foreign Secretary William Hague says that a "new cold war" could happen in the Middle East if Iran decides to have nuclear weapons, Press TV reported.
"If they [Iranians] obtain nuclear weapons capability, then I think other nations across the Middle East will want to develop nuclear weapons," Hague said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
"And so, the most serious round of nuclear proliferation since nuclear weapons were invented would have begun with all the destabilizing effects in the Middle East. And the threat of a new cold war in the Middle East without necessarily all the safety mechanisms," he warned, referring to the US-USSR rivalry.
Hague once again stressed that "all options must remain on the table" regarding Iran, repeating the Western military threats against Tehran.
However, he warned that Iran being "attacked militarily" would have "enormous downsides."
The United States, Israel and their European allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program.
Tehran says it is entitled to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.