Iran conducts drills for air defence over Bushehr nuclear power station: Reports

As some media outlets reported to have heard anti-aircraft fire in the region, Iranian state media suggested on Monday that the sounds detected near its Bushehr nuclear power station in Iran were due to an air defence practice making it clear that any Israeli attack would be met with a crushing retaliation. Bushehr deputy governor Mohammadtaqi Irani told Iranian state television that the air defence exercise was with full planning and coordination with the armed forces.

Following reports of a massive explosion above the central town of Natanz, which holds the nation's major nuclear facility, Iranian authorities announced earlier this month that air defences had fired a missile as part of a military exercise, reported Jerusalem Post. Over the years, Iran has blamed Israel for a number of attacks on nuclear-related sites, including the April incident at the Natanz complex, as well as the murder of its nuclear scientists. Israel however hasn't verified or repudiated the charges.

Iran to have only peaceful nuclear objectives

At the moment, Israel is assumed to possess the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East and Iran has threatened to respond to any Israeli action against it with a crushing retaliation. According to Jerusalem Post, Gholamali Rashid, a senior commander with Iran's Revolutionary Guards stated that if Israel attacks Iran, the military forces would promptly assault all centres, bases, routes and spaces used to carry out the invasion. He also said that any threat to Iran's nuclear installations and military bases by Israel is impossible without America's consent. 

Since Ebrahim Raisi was elected as Iran's president in June, indirect discussions between Iran and the United States to re-establish the nuclear accord have made no progress. The discussions about the nuclear accord between the US and Iran are scheduled to restart with some officials citing December 27 as a possible date, according to Jerusalem Post. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that the coordinator of nuclear talks will announce the exact date in the coming days.

AEOI declared that it will undertake security inspections

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), on the other hand, has declared that it will undertake security inspections on the recently installed cameras at its Karaj nuclear site. The cameras were installed as part of the 2015 nuclear deal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Image: AP