The newly-appointed commander of the Israel Air Force has said he is aware of the responsibility that the job entails.

"I'm aware of the size of the responsibility involved and will do everything to live up to expectations," Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel said in a brief statement on Sunday evening.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved army Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz's decision to appoint Eshel as the IAF's 17th commander.

Eshel, currently heading the military's Planning Directorate, will succeed Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan, who is to step down in months.

Local media reports claimed on Monday that the appointment was delayed in recent weeks due to sharp disagreement between Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the latter reportedly favoring Maj.-Gen. Yohanan Locker, his military adviser and former deputy IAF commander, for the post.

Netanyahu and Barak, both of whom have more than hinted that Israel is contemplating a military strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, in which the IAF is expected to play a critical role, have also sought to assess the opinions of the candidates for the post regarding the viability of such a strike.

Eshel has so far refrained from publicly stating his position regarding a possible strike against Tehran's uranium enrichment plants, which Israel and the West claim are intended to produce nuclear weaponry.

"(The decision to strike) is up to the government and the military would provide it with a 'tool box' of options," Eshel said in a briefing to foreign diplomats in Jerusalem last month, " We have the ability to hit any adversary very hard."

A father of three, Eshel, 53, enlisted in the IAF's prestigious flight academy in 1977, and five years later flew combat missions over southern Lebanon in an A-4 Skyhawk. He quickly climbed the ranks and served in a host of top posts, as commander of fighter jet squadrons and two major air bases. He headed the IAF's Operations Division and Air Wing prior to being appointed as the deputy to former IAF chief Eliezer Shkedy in 2006.

Despite this record, Eshel is better known for leading three F- 15 jets in a formation flight over Auschwitz, the Third Reich's most notorious death camp, in September 2003, a mission that IAF officials at the time said was aimed to demonstrate Israel's prowess and independence. In defiance of a prior agreement with the Polish authorities, who conditioned that the flyover take place out of sight, Eshel instructed the other pilots to fly low for a photo that now hangs in hundreds of offices throughout the military.

Top Israeli defense officials, among them former IAF commanders, received the announcement of Eshel's appointment with enthusiasm.

"There's no doubt that he's the right man at the right time," a senior military source told the Ma'ariv daily on Sunday, referring to growing media speculation that Israel is poised to strike Iran in the near future.

"As a senior officer who understands well the mission he is facing, (Eshel) is capable of carrying out the complex missions of Israel's strategic arm," the source added.

Iran insists that its nuclear facilities are geared for peaceful purposes, and has warned of a harsh response if they were to be attacked. Foreign military observers estimate that a strike could potentially set back Tehran's nuclear program by anywhere from two to five years.

On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama said that Israel remains undecided on the proper response to Tehran's nuclear ambitions. " Israel is rightly concerned about Tehran's plans," Obama said in an interview with NBC, adding that his top priority "continues to be the security of the United States, but also the security of Israel."

Underscoring that Washington seeks a diplomatic solution to the Iranian issue, Obama said that there are "important risks to consider" before any military strike against Iran.