Dubai: European officials are trying their best to spare the region "a potential war" between the US and Iran, amid increasing signs of a probable conflict over Tehran's nuclear programme, Iranian analysts said.

"Signs are increasing in the region of a possible war," Iranian analyst Saeed Laylaz said in an interview with Gulf News.

Last Friday, The New York Times quoted US officials as saying Israel had carried out a large military exercise, apparently as preparation for a potential bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Apart from the Israeli drills, Laylaz believes there are also signs from the US elections campaign, noting that the more the gap between the Republican and Democrat candidates widen, the more will be the possibility of the war on Iran, as each candidate will hope to get more votes in the race, added Laylaz.

"I am worried until the US elections. The coming three months are very important," noted Laylaz.

"All [concerned] parties in the Iranian nuclear issue are buying time," Tarek Hameed, Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq Al Awsat, told Gulf News.

The pan-Arab newspaper reported recently that the Western incentives presented to Tehran included a bigger role for Iran in the region. The statement raised fears, controversy, and debate in the region.