The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency warned on Saturday that any attack on Iran could turn the Mideast into a "ball of fire."

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei spoke in an interview with Al-Arabiya television, a day after reports emerged of a large-scale military exercise by Israel.

US officials said they think the Israeli exercises were meant to warn Iran of Israel's abilities to hit its nuclear sites.

ElBaradei also warned in the interview, aired on Saturday, he will resign as chief of the UN nuclear agency if Iran is attacked by any country.

He said a military strike against Iran now would make him unable to continue his work.