CANBERRA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday refused to rule out the possibility of taking military action against Iran, saying that "all options are still on the table" over Tehran's nuclear programs.

　　Speaking at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney, Cheney said Washington is still working with other countries to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear programs and prefers to achieve the goal peacefully.

　　"But all options are still on the table," Cheney said, adding that it is still being debated in the United States how to move next to deal with Tehran over its nuclear programs.

　　In an interview with US media, carried out in Australia and released on Friday, Cheney said that the United States will "do everything" that can stop Iran's nuclear programs.

　　The United States, along with some other Western countries, has been accusing Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of civilian nuclear programs. Tehran has rejected such allegations, saying that its nuclear programs are designed for peaceful use of nuclear energy.

　　The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1737 on Dec. 23, 2006, demanding Iran stop all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities including research and development, and work on all heavy water-related projects, in 60 days.

　　Iran refused to heed the Security Council's demand by the deadline that fell on Feb. 21, 2007.