Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak told visiting US Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday that "no option" would be ruled out in Israel's bid to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.

"Israel considers that (economic) sanctions are still the order of the day, but no option should be ruled out," said Barak, according to a ministry statement.

"Iran's weapons programme threatens not only the stability of the region, but of the whole world," added Barak.

Cheney, on the penultimate leg of a nine-day trip to the region, met Barak during a flurry of talks with top Israeli and Palestinian officials in Israel and the West Bank on Sunday.

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Barak was joined by the armed forces chief Gabi Ashkenazi and the head of military intelligence Amos Yadlin for the meeting with Cheney, the defence ministry statement said.

Israel, along with its ally the United States and other Western powers, accuses Iran of pursuing the development of a nuclear bomb under the guise of its civilian nuclear programme.

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