Amman, Jordan ? Vice President Dick Cheney received a public warning Tuesday from Jordanian King Abdullah II that expanding the terrorism war to Iraq could destabilize the region and undermine gains in Afghanistan.

U.S. officials had hoped for a more muted message from the king, whose comments came as Cheney began a whirlwind tour of the Middle East.

Vice President Dick Cheney, left, walks with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the royal palace in Amman. The meeting with the king on Tuesday was Cheney's first stop on a tour of nine Arab nations, Israel and Turkey.

Abdullah has been a top ally in the terror war, but like many Arab leaders he has been openly skeptical of U.S. hints of hostile action against Iraq.

During a private meeting with Cheney, Abdullah “expressed hope for a solution to all outstanding problems with Iraq through dialogue and peaceful means,” said a palace statement.

It also said Abdullah voiced Jordan’s concern about “the repercussions of any possible strike on Iraq and the dangers of that on the stability and security of the region.”

The meeting with the king was the vice president’s first stop on a tour of nine Arab nations, Israel and Turkey.

“Here and throughout this journey, I expect frank discussions on the urgent matters facing this region and all of the civilized world,” Cheney said at an airport welcoming ceremony.

He was then whisked away to the private meeting and working dinner at Beit al-Barakeh palace with the king.

During the meeting, Cheney stressed the importance of having U.N. weapons inspectors return to Iraq and said the inspections must be “wide open, robust, everywhere, anywhere, anytime,” said Cheney spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise.

She also said that the king and Cheney agreed a maximum effort must be made to get both Palestinians and Israelis back to the table in the Middle East peace process.

“As President Bush made clear last week, the United States will do all it can to help end the tragic violence between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and return the parties to a productive negotiating process,” Cheney said.

He will meet later in the week, in Israel, with State Department envoy Anthony Zinni, whom Bush has sent to the region to try to get the peace process moving again.

Cheney knew in advance that he faced a hard sell trying to drum up Arab support for ridding Iraq of Saddam.

He came to Jordan after a stop in London, where British Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced strong support for widening the terror war.

Jordan is the only Arab country to have sent forces to Afghanistan, U.S. officials noted.