Iran had equipped 51 of its cities with civil defense systems and placed its air defenses on high alert to thwart any possible foreign attack, senior Iranian defense officials revealed on September 3.
The Iranian media quoted Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mehdi Farahi as saying that the new civil defense systems will enable Iran to “identify and monitor threats by using round-the-clock software according to the type of the threat and risk.”
- “These days, depending on the strength of countries, the form of battles has become more complicated,” Brig. Gen. Farahi said, adding that hybrid forms of warfare including cyber, biological and radioactive attacks, have replaced classical wars.
From his side, Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh, commander of Iran’s Air Defense Headquarters, said that his forces are currently on high alert.
- “The country’s airspace today is the safest for licensed flights and the most insecure for would-be aggressors,” Brig. Gen. Rahimzadeh said, according to the Iranian media.
The Iranian moves came following reports of progress in the talks with the US on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.
- A development that upset Israel, whose officials have been calling for a credible military threat against Iran.
Despite the limited progress in the nuclear talks, tensions between Iran and the US continues to mount.
Earlier this week, Iranian naval forces temporary captured a maritime drone of the US Navy in the Persian Gulf and two others in the Red Sea.
- A military fallout between Iran and the US is still possible. American officials called Iran’s latest response in negotiations to revive the nuclear deal “not constructive”. Tehran called for stronger guarantees from Washington before a return to the deal, which was abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in 2018.
Iran appears to be worried that Israel may decide to attack its nuclear facilities on its own before it could reach an agreement with the US.
- Such an escalation will, without a doubt, spark a large-scale conflict in the Middle East.
Source: SOUTHFRONT