Iran’s military has begun drills focusing on air defenses near the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant in the center of the country as part of exercises planned nationwide, state media reported on Tuesday.
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.
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.
At the end of October, Israel attacked key military targets in Iran, degrading its air defense and missile production capabilities in retaliation for a massive ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier that month.
