A senior US commander says the US and NATO must prepare to respond to a potential Iranian ballistic missiles attack against Israel.

Admiral James Winnefeld, commander of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, claimed Iran to be an 'unpredictable adversary', in an article in the US Naval Institute's monthly Proceedings,.

The prospect of an offensive barrage of ballistic missiles fired at Israel poses 'the most likely employment of ballistic missiles in the world today', he maintained.

"It demands our immediate attention in the event of a need for a US or NATO response," said Adm. Winnefeld.

He also claimed that 'Tehran's growing arsenal of ballistic missiles' may in the future carry 'nuclear weapons'.

Washington and Tel Aviv, which accuse the Islamic Republic of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, have stepped up their efforts to isolate Tehran over its enrichment program.

Iran insists its nuclear activities are aimed at providing fuel for its under-construction power plants. Tehran argues that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) the country is entitled to a civilian nuclear program.

In its most recent report, the UN nuclear watchdog conceded that there is no link between the use of nuclear material and the 'alleged studies' of weaponization in Iran's nuclear facilities.

MD/HGH