Berlin  - Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has warned in an interview made public Saturday that any Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be "mad."

The German news magazine Der Spiegel quoted the UN nuclear chief saying, "It would be utterly mad to attack Iran. That would turn the region into one giant fireball and the Iranians would immediately begin to build the bomb ... supported by the entire Islamic world."

ElBaradei's term at the head of the Vienna-based agency ends this November.

He said the international community had for a long time ignored IAEA warnings about nuclear proliferation with the result that "the risk that nuclear arms will be used has "significantly grown" along with "the risk the bomb will fall into the wrong hands."

He appealed to Tehran to settle the issues with IAEA and offer a willingness to compromise in the light of offers from new US President Barack Obama: "I advise the people I meet from Iran: Shake the hand that Obama is offering you."(dpa)