U.S. Senator Ben Nelson said Iran is hindering peace efforts in the Middle East.

The Nebraska Democrat spoke to reporters Tuesday in a telephone conference from Israel, where he has been meeting with Israeli dignitaries and touring the region.

Earlier Tuesday, Nelson traveled with a group to Sderot, less than five miles from the Gaza Strip. The town is pockmarked from rockets believed to have been fired from Gaza, and Nelson says many are supplied by Iran.

Nelson adds that "the common denominator for all of the terrorist activities and mischief in the area is Iran."

Nelson returns to the U.S. on Wednesday night.