Russia will try to prevent the possible use of force by the United States against Iran in the dispute over its nuclear program, the foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"We cannot ignore statements made by high-ranking US officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney," the minister, Sergei Lavrov, told a news conference.

Cheney, speaking on a trip to Australia last week, refused to rule out the possibility of taking military action against Iran, saying "all options are still on the table."

"We are convinced that this (use of force) has no prospects and we will do all we can to prevent this scenario," Lavrov said. He called on Iran to show flexibility.

The West accuses Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons under a civilian cover, a charge Tehran denies. Iran says it needs to enrich uranium as a peaceful, alternative energy source.

The UN Security Council gave Iran a 60-day deadline, which expired last week, to suspend uranium enrichment or face further sanctions. But Iran refused to heed the Security Council's demand.

Six major nations -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- agreed on Monday to work on a new UN Security Council resolution to press Iran to halt its nuclear program but remained committed to seeking a negotiated solution, British officials said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2007)