The United Arab Emirates has said an Arab summit on the Iraqi crisis should be held as soon as possible, in order to prevent further American and British attacks on Iraq.

The Arab League announced on Monday that plans for a summit had been put on hold at the request of Gulf Arab states.

But the UAE information minister, Sheikh Abdallah bin Zaid al-Nahyan, told the BBC that his country was in favour of a summit.

The Iraqi deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, earlier criticised Egypt and Saudi Arabia for their lack of support for Baghdad.