JERUSALEM, Oct 10: Israel urged on Tuesday that economic sanctions be slapped on Iran over its nuclear program, warning of possible atomic cooperation between Tehran and Pyongyang after the latter’s claimed nuclear test.

"Now that North Korea has proven its nuclear capabilities, it risks collaborating with Iran and accelerating its nuclear program," Danny Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States, said in an interview with the Haaretz daily.

"In this context, sanctions (on Iran) become more and more critical," Mr Ayalon said.

A senior Israeli government official said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was to ‘this week examine the Iranian threat against Israel with intelligence chiefs in view of these new developments’.

Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres also called for economic sanctions on Tehran.

—AFP