ABU DHABI, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Sunday that Iran was a threat to world security and urged U.S. allies in the Gulf to confront it.

In a speech in Abu Dhabi, the third stop on a tour of Arab allies, Bush said Iran was the world's top sponsor of terrorism and undermined security hopes in Lebanon by supporting the Hezbollah guerrilla group.

"Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror. It sends hundreds of millions of dollars to extremists around the world while its own people face repression and economic hardship at home," he said.

"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. So the United States is strengthening our long-standing security commitments with our friends in the Gulf and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late."

Bush also accused Iran of supporting Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and of sending arms to Shi'ite militants in Iraq.

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