Iran had put portions of its air defense system on “high alert” in the last few days, the CNN reported on July 16, citing a U.S. official with knowledge on the matter.
According to the official, the U.S. believes that the Iranian alert is not part of a training exercise but rather a response to an unknown threat. The official declined to explain how the U.S. was able to obtain this information.
The Iranian step came after a series of mysterious explosions that rocked military and industrial facilities in different parts of the country.
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The most critical incident took place in the Natanz nuclear facility on July 2. An advanced centrifuge assembly center was destroyed as a result of a fairly large explosion. Iranian authorities are currently investigating the incident.
Some recent reports suggested that Israel may be behind some of the recent explosions in Iran, especially Natanz explosion. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to support these accusations.
The possibility of foreign involvement in these incidents is taken seriously by Iran. Tehran is apparently taking defensive measures to address any possible threat, including aerial attacks.
