Iran’s military has started exercises near the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant, according to state media. These drills, named Eqtedar, which means strength in Farsi, involve the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the army. The first phase of these exercises is focused on protecting the Natanz facility from air threats using advanced defense tactics.
IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini mentioned that these drills, which will take place all across Iran until mid-March, are a response to new security threats but did not provide more details. Different parts of the IRGC, including the navy and paramilitary forces, will join in on these exercises.
Recently, a report from a US news website said that Jake Sullivan, a national security adviser, presented options to President Joe Biden for possible actions against Iran’s nuclear sites if the country tries to develop nuclear weapons before January 20, the end of Trump’s presidency. Iran’s foreign ministry strongly criticized this, saying such threats violate international law. Iran claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and has no plans to make atomic bombs.
In recent years, Iran has been making more enriched uranium and has the highest level of uranium enrichment among countries without nuclear weapons, as stated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). That level of 60 percent is very close to the 90 percent required for a nuclear bomb. Tensions between the US and Iran increased when the US pulled out of a major nuclear agreement during Trump’s first term, which had lifted some sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear activities.
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