Tel Aviv - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni warned US president-elect Barack Obama Thursday against holding a dialogue with Iran, saying Tehran could interpret such overtures as "weakness."

But she added she was not concerned that a US administration under Obama would greatly chance its attitude toward Israel.

"The bottom line is that also a US under Obama is not willing to accept a nuclear Iran," said Livni, who heads Israel's ruling Kadima party and is a leading candidate for the premiership in the country's upcoming parliamentary elections on February 10.

"I think that a dialogue (with Iran) at this time could be intepreted as a message of weakness," she told Israel Radio.

Both Israel and the US were acting for harsher sanctions against Iran, she added.

She spoke as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was due to arrive in Israel early Thursday afternoon for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders ahead of Sunday's meeting in the Red Sea Resort of Sharm el-Sheikh of the "Quartet" of Middle East peace sponsors - the US, European Union, United Nations and Russia. (dpa)