KRAKOW - The United States and Poland on Saturday signed a deal on a future US anti-missile shield in Europe which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said would help ward off threats from Iran.

The document amends an accord signed in Washington in August 2008 after the administration of President Barack Obama modified the plan for a US anti-nuclear missile shield in Europe.

The orginal plan envisaged the installation of a powerful radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptors for long-range missiles in Poland.

But following Russian objections that its security was threatened, the Obama government modified the blueprint and opted for medium- and short-range missile interceptors in Poland.

The agreement was signed in the Polish city of Krakow in the presence of Clinton and her Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski.

She said the shield "will help protect the Polish people and all in Europe our allies and others from the... threats posed by Iran," and exhorted Russia to join get onboard.

"We believe the threats that we all face are common ones and therefore we hope that Russia will orient itself more toward working with all of us and meet those common threats," she said.

BDST: 18:52 HRS, July 3, 2010