Sunday, January 12, 2025

Iran drills air defenses, touts fortified ‘missile city’ in challenge to Israel, Trump


Iran was holding air defense exercises Saturday, state media reported, as the country braced for more friction with Israel and the United States under incoming US president Donald Trump.

The war games came a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps released footage of what it called an underground “missile city,” claiming that weapon production had ramped up, contrary to Israeli claims.

Iranian leaders are thought to be readying for the possibility that Trump could empower Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attack Iran’s nuclear sites, while further tightening US sanctions on its oil industry through his “maximum pressure” policy. “In these exercises… defense systems will practice the fight against air, missile and electronic warfare threats in real battlefield conditions… to protect the country’s skies and sensitive and vital areas,” Iranian state television said.   (Read More)