Iran, November 22: Iranian air defence forces this week began training manoeuvres involving simulated attacks on the country’s nuclear sites, state media reported.
The manoeuvres were announced by Brigadier General Ahmad Mighani, head of army air defence, who said the aim was to thwart threats on the country’s nuclear facilities posed by an imaginary enemy.
The war games would also help improve cooperation among different units, he added.
“Due to the threats against our nuclear facilities it is our duty to defend out nation’s vital facilities and thus this manoeuvre covers Bushehr, Fars, Isfahan, Tehran and western provinces,” Brigadier General Mighani said.
“Our unit will be in charge of the manoeuvre but there will be units from the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij (militia),” he added.
Iran’s still unoperational nuclear plant is in the southern Bushehr province, while its uranium enrichment plants are in Isfahan and near Tehran.
Western nations believe the enrichment work is masking an atomic weapons program, but Iran insists it is purely for generating electricity.
Washington and Israel have not ruled out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Iran has often held defence war games and has boasted advances in military capabilities in a bid to show its readiness to counter any military threats over its disputed nuclear program.
The Islamic republic has warned it will hit back at Israel and US interests in the region if it is attacked.
—Agencies