Iran and Iraq unite in criticism of Blair

The Prime Minister was accused by Tareq al-Hashemi, Iraq's vice-president, of being "brainwashed" on changing his mind to withdraw troops from Iraq by George Bush, the US president.

Mr Hashemi said Mr Blair was in favour of announcing a timetable to pull troops out of Iraq, but changed his mind after speaking to Mr Bush.

In a separate move yesterday, Mr Blair called for an "alliance of moderation" across the region to counter the influence of Iran.

But his speech was denounced as "hostile" by Tehran, which accused him of fuelling tensions in the Middle East.

In a stark speech, the Prime Minister warned that "there is a monumental struggle going on worldwide between those who believe in democracy and moderation, and forces of reaction and extremism."

He said the chief foe in the region was the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, accusing it of "openly supporting terrorism in Iraq" and trying to stop democracy there and in Lebanon.

"We must mobilise our alliance of moderation in the region and outside of it to defeat the extremists," Mr Blair said.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, said Mr Blair's speech was "hostile" and an "obvious intervention" in the region's affairs.

"The negative and discordant tendencies of Britain, along with the war-mongering and unilateral policies of Bush and Blair, have been the reason for tension and extremism and the cause of public hatred in the region," Mr Hosseini told the state news agency IRNA.

Mr Blair has named the Middle East as one of his priorities before leaving office. Yesterday he also said in an interview he wanted a job with "real purpose" after he leaves Downing Street.