IRAN continues to use its proxies such as Hizbollah in Lebanon to destabilise the region, US Ambassador to Bahrain Thomas Krajeski told the GDN.

"It is a country that has used its proxies in this region for many years," he said.

However, the diplomat - who served at the US Embassy in Baghdad from 2008 to 2009 as a senior adviser to the ambassador on Northern Iraq affairs - claimed Tehran's attempts to infiltrate Iraq had not been as successful as it had hoped.

"They(Iran) failed to obtain the kind of influence that they wanted to," he said.

"Interestingly, at one point, Iraqis said 'we are Iraqis, not Iranians' and rejected much of the Iranian influence."

Mr Krajeski said Washington remained concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions and would not alllow it to develop nuclear weapons.

"I am no fan of Iran," he stated. "We are particularly focused on Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

"Our president stated clearly that we will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon that is a threat to our allies and friends in the region and even a dangerous threat to the US."

Mr Krajeski also lashed out at Iran's attempts to capitalise on unrest in Bahrain since last year, although he agreed with the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) findings that it was not directly involved.

"There was no direct involvement in the events last spring in Bahrain, but Iran continues to exert a negative influence and propaganda through its news media, most of which is twisted and inaccurate about Bahrain," he said.