The United States has agreed to place advanced missile detection systems in Israel.

Senior U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, say the systems will give Israel an extra layer of protection in case of an attack by Iran.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak confirmed the deal.  Officials say the systems will be set up in Israel before a new U.S. president takes office in January.

The main system, called X-band radar, is the most powerful U.S. radar system, and can track medium- and long-range missiles in space.  It can also be used to target incoming missiles and shoot them out of the sky.

The U.S. already employs the radar technology in Japan and hopes to deploy it soon in the Czech Republic.

U.S. officials say the agreement will also allow the two countries to share early launch data.

Barak, in Washington for a series of meetings, said both the U.S. and Israeli governments agree that they need to keep all options on the table when it comes to Iran.

He told reporters Tuesday that Iran is a serious threat to world stability and order.  Barak said he discussed the issue this week with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Israel's air force carried out a large-scale exercise in June that was interpreted by many as a rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.