Tony Blair has "tremendous concerns" about the prospect of war with Iraq, King Abdullah of Jordan has claimed.

The monarch said the British Prime Minister agrees with most international leaders that America's determination to topple Saddam Hussein at all costs is a mistake.

His comments were made to an American newspaper following a meeting with Mr Blair at Downing Street earlier this week.

Number 10 insisted that Mr Blair's position is unchanged and that the Iraqi leader's determination to acquire weapons of mass destruction "must be addressed".

'Sudden'

Speaking to the Washington Post about the prospect of war King Abdullah said: "Everybody is saying this is a bad idea.

All of the sudden this thing is moving to the horizon much closer than we believed

King Abdullah

"If it seems America says we want to hit Baghdad, that's not what Jordanians think, or the British, the French, the Russians, the Chinese and everybody else."

King Abdullah, who was due to meet President Bush on Thursday, added: "Blair has tremendous concerns about how this would unravel."

King Abdullah said it was the reluctance of the British government and other nations to confront the US which may have led its officials to think there was little opposition to war.

He said many US allies were concerned at how quickly invasion plans had developed, adding: "All of the sudden this thing is moving to the horizon much closer than we believed."

As an alternative to war King Abdullah said he wanted renewed efforts to get Iraq to agree to regular weapons inspections.

'No decisions'

Downing Street did not respond directly to the suggestions that Mr Blair has "tremendous concerns" about the prospect of military intervention.

It is wrong to assume that the US is not continuing to consult with her allies

Bernard Jenkins

A spokeswoman said Mr Blair and King Abdullah had a "constructive dialogue" when they met on Monday, but the Prime Minister's position on Iraq was unchanged.

She said: "The Prime Minister believes that weapons of mass destruction is an issue which has to be addressed. But no decisions have been taken."

After the meeting Mr Blair's office had confirmed the two men spoke about the situation in Iraq, as well as the Middle East peace process more generally.

Last week Mr Blair warned that Saddam Hussein was trying to acquire a nuclear capability.

'Shoulder to shoulder'

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell urged Mr Blair to heed the monarch's advice and ensure Britain was a "candid friend" to the US.

He said: "King Abdullah is the informed voice of reason in the Middle East.

"President Bush and Tony Blair would be well advised to listen to his reservations and anxieties about military action against Iraq."

But shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkins said it was essential that Britain and the US remain "shoulder to shoulder" in the war against terrorism.

He added: "It is wrong to assume that the US is not continuing to consult with her allies and countries in the region, or that any decision has been made about any military operation."