Iran launches large-scale air defense exercise around Natanz Nuclear Facility

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iran launched the first phase of a joint air defense exercise Eghtedar-e Velayat around the Natanz nuclear facility.

According to Iranian media outlets, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defense units carried out a comprehensive defense operation for the Ahmadinejad Roshan nuclear site, simulating complex aerial threats and challenging electronic warfare conditions.

The IRGC Commander, Major General Hossein Salami, explained in a press conference that recent exercises in Iran, aimed to test air defense systems, "We have made significant progress in air defense in recent months."

"There was a need to test the capabilities of our defense systems in these exercises to simulate a realistic scenario,” he added.

Salami also referenced the unveiling of the "Soma Khordad" air defense system, designed to counter bunker-busting bombs, at the Natanz nuclear site.

For his part, the Commander of the Joint Air Defense Headquarters in Iran, Qader Rahimzadeh explained in a statement that air defense units from both the Iranian Army and the Revolutionary Guard have been deployed near sensitive sites, equipped with advanced systems to enhance their defensive capabilities.

The commander noted that the drills will be extensive, “however, full details will not be disclosed for reasons of maintaining secrecy and ensuring strategic surprise against adversaries, and only a limited portion of the exercises will be revealed to the public through the media.”