His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday warned that the failure of the Annapolis international peace meeting on the Middle East would sustain tensions in the region.

Speaking to a 40-member US delegation comprising officials and opinion leaders, King Abdullah emphasised in this regard Israel's responsibility to take trust-building measures that would earn the peace meeting international public support.

The King said the meeting, expected to take place before year-end, should establish a continuous peace process that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian land in the West Bank and Gaza, and to an agreement on final status issues in accordance with a fixed time frame.

Political leaders, King Abdullah said, should realise that it is the people who will pay the price if the negotiations come to a dead-end.

The King also called for supporting the Palestinian National Authority as it works to improve the living conditions of the Palestinian people.

He also warned that the region will face another catastrophe if a military solution is pursued in dealing with the question of Iran's nuclear file.

There is no support in the region for the use of force to resolve the crisis, King Abdullah told the delegation, headed by former Ambassador Martin Indyk and comprising members of Arab American and Jewish American committees, intellectuals, researchers, journalists and representatives from the US private sector, all members of the Washington-based Brookings Institution.