Israel carries out "successful" missile test

Israel tested a missiletoday and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni urged the West to work harder to prevent "the appearance of a nuclear Iran".

Oil briefly rose almost $1 to above $92 a barrel on news of the test, which came three days after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the Jewish state would consider all options to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Israel, Washington's staunchest ally in the Middle East, says Iran could have a nuclear bomb by 2010 and that an Iranian nuclear weapon would threaten Israel's existence.

In Moscow, Livni said Russian deliveries of nuclear fuel to Iran might help Tehran develop nuclear weapons.

The West fears Iran is seeking an atom bomb -- a charge Tehran denies. It says it aims only to generate electricity. Israel's Defence Ministry said in a brief statement: "A successful missile launch was carried out within the framework of examining rocket propulsion."

Israel Radio said the missile tested was capable of carrying an "unconventional payload". Defence experts say this means it could carry a nuclear warhead.

Israel Radio quoted unidentified foreign reports as saying Israel was developing the Jericho III long-range surface-to-surface missile.

The radio report said Israel has carried out tests to improve anti-missile systems to intercept both short- and medium-range rockets, including Katyusha rockets used by Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and missiles in Iran's arsenal.

Amateur photos posted on Israeli news Web sites showed a white plume in the sky above central Israel.

The Hebrew YNet news Web site quoted unnamed defence officials as saying the test had been "dramatic". Israel is believed to have atomic arms and foreign analysts have said for many years that its Jericho I and Jericho II missiles can carry nuclear warheads.