Iran tested more missiles in the Gulf yesterday, state media said, and the US reminded Tehran that it was ready to defend its allies.

Israel, long assumed to have its own atomic arsenal, has sworn to prevent Iran from emerging as a nuclear-armed power. Last month it staged an air force exercise that stoked speculation about a possible assault on Iranian nuclear sites. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on a visit to the former Soviet republic of Georgia that no one should be confused about Washington's commitment to protect its allies.

"We are also sending a message to Iran that we will defend American interests and... the interests of our allies," she said after meeting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.