In the diplomatic war of nerves over Iran's nuclear ambitions, last week's appointment of the first air force chief to head the Israeli armed forces will have added to concerns within the Tehran regime that its enemies might eventually decide to resolve the issue by force.

A number of commentators noted that, if Israel were to mount a pre-emptive strike to knock out Iran's nuclear facilities before it achieved the capability to make a bomb, Major General Dan Halutz, a former fighter ace, would be the ideal man to oversee the task.