UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Most leaders in the Middle East think the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and its outcome were a "real disaster" for the region, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday.

    "Most of the leaders I spoke to felt the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath have been a real disaster for them," Annan, who returned from a trip to the region late last week, told a press conference at the UN headquarters.

    "They believe it has destabilized the region," said the secretary-general. "It cannot stay and it cannot leave."

    Annan said many leaders believed the United States should stay until Iraq improves while others, such as Iran, said it should leave immediately.

    Iran had offered to help the United States leave but did not go into details, Annan added.

    The UN chief's two-week tour to the region, with the focus on rallying support for Security Council Resolution 1701 ending the month-long Israel-Hezbollah conflict, also took him to Iran, currently locked in a bitter nuclear standoff with the West. Enditem