"If Iran continues its plan to develop nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The window of opportunity has closed. The sanctions are not effective. There will be no choice but to attack Iran to stop its nuclear program." After Israeli Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz's threat of an attack on Iran, US officials say the Jewish state carried out large military exercise this month in preparation for potential bombing on Tehran's nuclear facilities. According to Pentagon official, the goal is to send a clear message that Israel is ready to act militarily against the Islamic Republic.

Citing unidentified American officials, The New York Times reported on Friday said that more than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters took part in the maneuvers over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece in the first week of June. It said the exercise appeared to be an effort to focus on long-range strikes and illustrates the seriousness with which Israel views Iran's nuclear program.

A spokesman for the Israeli occupation military only said that the Israeli Air Forces "regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel," according to the Times.

The drill also included IAF rescues helicopters, said the officials, adding that the helicopters and refueling tankers flew more than 900 miles, which is approximately the distance between Israel and Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz.

A Pentagon official who the Times said was briefed on the exercise, said one goal was to practice flight tactics, aerial refueling and other details of a possible strike against Iran's nuclear installations and long-range conventional missiles.

The Pentagon official said a second goal was to send a clear message that Israel was prepared to act militarily if other efforts to stop Iran from producing bomb-grade uranium fail. "They wanted us to know, they wanted the Europeans to know, and they wanted the Iranians to know," the Pentagon official said, according to the Times. "There's a lot of signaling going on at different levels."

Several US officials told the newspaper they did not believe Israel had decided to attack Iran or think such a strike was imminent.

The persistent threats to strike Iran prompted the senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami to warn Israel on Friday of a "strong blow" if it takes forceful measures. "If enemies especially Israelis and their supporters in the United States would want to use a language of force, they should rest assured that they will receive a strong blow in the mouth,"Khatami said. While the Islamic Republic President and Defense Minister warned earlier of a "painful response" if Israel attacks Iran.

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