Israel says will connect to US missile early warning system

Jerusalem: The United States has agreed to connect Israel to its ballistic missile early warning system to warn of any missile attack from archfoe Iran, a senior Israeli defence official said on Monday.

"Israel asked the US to connect to its ballistic missile early warning system as part of its efforts to defend itself from missile attacks, first of all from Iran," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The US has agreed to the request," he said.

Israel first benefited from the worldwide radar system, which was built in the 1959, during the 1991 Gulf War when Iraq fired dozens of missiles at the Jewish state.

It was put in action again during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

Israel claims that Iran's controversial nuclear programme and its recent ballistic missile test firing are aimed at developing an atomic weapon, a claim denied by Tehran.

The Jewish state considers Iran's Islamic regime an existential threat after President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad's repeated call for Israel's destruction.

Defence Ministry Director General Pinkhas Bukhris and top ministry adviser Amos Gilad have been in Washington twice in recent months to discuss military cooperation between Israel and its chief ally.

The US embassy in Israel did not immediately comment on the report.