Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami warned that U.S. military action in the Middle East had backfired, producing greater terrorism, imperiling the future of Iraq and damaging America's long-term interests, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The danger of even greater instability in the region will ultimately prevent the United States from launching military strikes against Iran over disputes about its nuclear intentions, Khatami said in a wide-ranging interview in New York on Tuesday.

Although an attack on Iran would create "great damage," "prudence and wisdom" are likely to prevail because of the incalculable "detriment and damage" it would cause to both the region and the United States, Khatami said.

"America will not make the mistake of attacking Iran," Khatami said, adding "Iran is not Iraq."

In an interview with the USA Today on Monday, Khatami urged Teheran and Washington to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program through negotiations and also rejected the idea of imposing sanctions on Iran.

Khatami, who now heads a group called the International Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations, is on a private visit to the United States and he is scheduled to make a speech on dialogue among civilizations at Washington's National Cathedral on Thursday.

The U.S. State Department said that during his stay in the United States, there were no plans for the government officials to meet with him.

Source: Xinhua