A US leak of an Israeli air exercise reported to be practice for possible bombing of Iran's nuclear sites was seen in Israel yesterday as a deliberate move to increase pressure on Teheran to halt sensitive atomic work.

"When the diplomacy of economic and political pressure fails to produce results, a shift is made to gunboat diplomacy," wrote Alex Fishman, military affairs correspondent of Israel's biggest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth.

"As the Iranian regime discusses the European Union representative's most recent offer to halt its nuclear program in exchange for extensive benefits, the Americans opted to add a bit more pressure in the shape of Israel's air force," he said.