U.S. President George W. Bush warned Iran on Monday that the United States will use its military might to protect Israel.

"The threat from Iran is, of course, their stated objective to destroy our strong ally Israel. That's a threat, a serious threat. It's a threat to world peace," Bush said after a speech defending the war in Iraq in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I made it clear, and I'll make it clear again, that we will use military might to protect our ally Israel," Bush said.

Bush was clearly referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who had reportedly called for the destruction of Israel.

Bush also reiterated that the United States wants to solve Iran 's nuclear crisis through diplomacy.

In the U.S. National Security Strategy released last week, Bush claimed that the United States faces "no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran."

Source: Xinhua