Iran deployed warplanes and missiles Monday in an "exercise" to protect nuclear sites and warned it could cut oil exports to more European Union nations unless sanctions were lifted.
Iran
deployed warplanes and missiles Monday in an "exercise" to protect
nuclear sites and warned it could cut oil exports to more European Union
nations unless sanctions were lifted.
The stance marked a hardening of the Islamic republic's defiance in an
international standoff over its nuclear programme--and suggested it was
readying for any eventual confrontation.
The moves were announced the same day as officials from the United Nations
nuclear watchdog agency arrived in
Tehran
for a
second round of talks they said were focused on "the possible military
dimensions of
Iran
's
nuclear programme."
Iran
,
while holding out hope of reviving collapsed negotiations with world powers,
has underlined it will not give up its nuclear ambitions, which it insists are
purely peaceful.
Much of the West and
Israel
,
though, fear
Iran
's
activities include research for atomic weapons.
The
United States
and
Europe
have
ramped up economic sanctions against
Iran
's
vital oil sector, while
Israel
has
fuelled speculation it could be on the brink of carrying out air strikes on
Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran
's
military said in a statement on Monday that it has launched four days of
manoeuvres in the south of the country aimed at boosting anti-air defenses to
protect nuclear sites.
Missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, radars and warplanes were being deployed in
the exercise it dubbed "Sarollah", a word borrowed from the Arabic
meaning "God's vengeance".
"These manoeuvres aim to reinforce the coordination between the military
and the Revolutionary Guards for a total coverage of the country's sensitive
facilities, especially nuclear sites," the statement said.
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