Republican US presidential hopeful John McCain said Prime Minister Tony Blair has sacrificed his career to support the Iraq war.
And the Arizona senator acknowledged that he could face the same fate.
McCain, a staunch defender of US President George Bush's new Iraq troop deployment strategy, said on Saturday he worries that a cutback of British troops in southern Iraq announced by Blair this week could lead to stronger control by "Iranian-backed Shiite" forces.
But he said Blair and the British deserve gratitude for their efforts.
"He has literally sacrificed his political career because of Iraq," McCain said during an appearance before the World Affairs Council and the City Club of Seattle.
"That is a great testament to his political courage."
Asked later by a reporter if he was in danger of making the same sacrifice, McCain responded "sure."
McCain, who lost the Republican nomination to Bush in 2000, is expected to formally announce his second campaign for the White House next month.
