Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are trading barbs over Iran, with the Texas congressman saying the U.S. has no legitimate claim to block Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and Bachmann calling his position wildly dangerous.

The two House members clashed during Thursday night's GOP debate while standing next to each other.

Paul says that terrorists want to harm the U.S. because it bombs innocent civilians and invades countries. The libertarian-leaning lawmaker says the worries over a nuclear Iran are merely the pretense for the U.S. to start another war.

Bachmann says that Iran is led by "an avowed madman" and committed to destroying Israel. She says Iran must be stopped.