TEHRAN—Iran’s military has begun drills near the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant in the centre of the country, state media reported Tuesday, as part of exercises planned nationwide.
The drills—dubbed Eqtedar, or “might”, in Farsi—have involved the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ideological branch of Iran’s military, alongside the army.
“The first phase of the joint Eqtedar exercises in the air defense zone of the Natanz nuclear facility has commenced under the orders of the air defense headquarters commander,” state TV said.
It added that IRGC air forces were undertaking “an all-out point defense” of the site “against a multitude of air threats in tough electronic warfare conditions”.
On Monday, IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said the drills, which will also cover other parts of Iran until mid-March, were being conducted in response to “new security threats”, without elaborating.
