WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States hailed the Nobel Peace Prize win by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its director general Mohamed ElBaradei on Friday and said this sends a clear message to those trying to pursue nuclear weapons programs.

    "I think today is a day that the world is honoring the commitment of to honor Dr. ElBaradei and the IAEA to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

    "I think that this is a message to Iran and other countries that would pursue nuclear weapons programs under the guise of trying to obtain civilian nuclear power," McCormack said.

    This is also a message that the world is watching closely and that the world stands united in working together to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, he added.

    The Nobel Committee awarded its Peace Prize to the UN's nuclear watchdog and its Egyptian director general Mohamed ElBaradei on Friday for their efforts to halt the spread of nuclear weapons.

    The IAEA and its chief were honored "for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way," the Nobel Prize Committee said. Enditem