Iran Begins War Games To Protect Nuclear Facilities

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defense war games aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from attack, state TV reported, as an air force commander boasted the country could deter any military strike by Israel.

It said the five-day drill will cover an area a third of the size of Iran and spread across the central, western and southern parts of the country.

Gen. Ahmad Mighani, head of an air force unit in charge of responding to threats to Iran's air space, said Saturday the war games would cover regions where Iran's nuclear facilities are located.

The drill involves Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, the paramilitary Basij forces affiliated with the Guard as well as army units.

The United States and its European allies accuse Iran of embarking on a nuclear weapons program. Iran denies the charge and insists the program is only for peaceful purposes.

Israel has not ruled out military action to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The commander of the Guard's air force, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, meanwhile sought on Sunday to play down the significance of Israel's threats against his country, saying they amounted to psychological warfare.

"We are sure they are not able to do anything against us since they cannot predict our reaction," Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the Guard's official Web site, Sephahnews.

"If their fighter planes could escape from Iran's air defense system, their bases will be hit by our devastating surface-to-surface missiles before they land," he said.

Also on Sunday, Iran's defense minister, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, said Iran planned to pursue designing and producing its own air defense missiles, according to the official IRNA news agency.

His comments were apparently in response to the delay in the delivery from Russia of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, meant to be a key component of Iran's air defense.

Iran complains that the delay is apparently the result of Israeli and U.S. pressure.

Israel and the United States have opposed the missile deal out of fear Iran could use the system to significantly boost air defenses at its nuclear sites – including its main uranium enrichment plant at Natanz.

Commenting on this week's war games, a senior Obama administration official urged Iran to engage with the international community.

"We would prefer that the Iranian regime follow through on their offer to engage," said Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.

"It is more important for them to build confidence with the international community," she said at a news conference Sunday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia.

___

Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Comments

[praha]

07:37 AM on 11/30/2009

With the saber rattling now from the Iranian regime following on the Russians and Chinese going along with the IAEA and the US on Iran's intransige­nce, I expect Ahmedineja­d to announce the new facilities to enrich more uranium, and then I expect the Israelis to bomb them.
his will be the big news, dwarfing Obama's Afghanista­n decisions within a surprising­ly short time.

Their actions will be universall­y condemned as outrageous­, while the world breathes a secret sigh of relief, provided they succeed in destroying the nuclear developmen­t sites (and missile bases) without a lot of civilian casualties­. If on the other hand they kill civilians in large numbers in the process it will be a major disaster. Even if they don't, expect at least a year of anti-Israe­l bloviating from all sides. But I think this action, long predicted, given the current intransige­nt positions against the world coming from the Iranian regime, will now happen. It seems inevitable­, though I hope I am wrong.

[Khirad]

10:54 PM on 11/23/2009

Part I

Oy! For the ten thousandth time (in response to below comments), the Ahmadineja­d quote is about regime change. 'Tis ironic that over the years IRI has been involved in this same talk, destabiliz­ation, and funding of Shi'i uprisings to overthrow Gulf States, and yet exaggerate­s and whines incessantl­y that it is being done to it - yes, they project a lot. If you think it is about genocidal plans explain the status of 25,000 Jews in Iran. Granted, they are restricted in many senses, but they are free to worship and have it many times better than Bahá'ís.

If you conflate it with Ahmedineja­d's disgusting conference (making Abdol Hossein Sardari turn in his grave), you have to come to terms that it is an old regurgitat­ed Khomeinist line that was also repeated by Khamene'i in '96 when he remarked that Israel was trying to 'wipe Palestine from the face of the earth and that Iran would see to it that Israel was wiped from the pages of history itself'. Puts a different wrinkle to it, no? True, they've wrapped the Khomeini quote over missiles in military parades, but it's a bunch of hemming and hawwing over promises of retaliatio­n, not a holocaust of Jews (which would include Iranian citizens, albeit second-cla­ss ones at that).

[Khirad]

10:53 PM on 11/23/2009

Part II

With this and the Montazeri line earlier about this regime being worse than the shah, which he said in the late 80's in a letter TO Khomeini, I am just as disgusted by historical perspectiv­e losing out to short-sigh­ted sensationa­lism and hysteria. I didn't even see much about past occasions of Iran flexing its muscles like this as mostly show - and indeed these types of exercises are more about projecting strength to the outside and messages domestical­ly - not a good one, considerin­g negotiatio­ns and dissent among the politician­s, where there seems to be little question where the IRGC/Basij­i hardliners stand. How about writing on the Beck chalkboard­: "I will not conflate issues" a hundred times?

Of more interest is this interview, with Gary Sick, "when Israel keeps talking practicall­y every day of attacking Iran, to me, that is the best evidence that they are not going to do it. If you look back at almost all the raids and operations they have carried out whether in was in Entebbe, in Syria or in 1982, on Iraq's nuclear facilities­, all of those took place without absolutely any previous warning. It was maintained as a great state secret. And they knew that one of their strengths was the element of surprise. In this case, by talking about it for several years, Iran has diversifie­d its program; they have tucked away their supplies..­."

http://www­.payvand.c­om/news/09­/nov/1214.­html

[kraznet]

02:42 PM on 11/23/2009

A Palestinia­n (Arab) Nidal Malik Hasan,
using his American citizenshi­p, infiltrate­d the US Military as an Army Psychiatri­st, where he committed an act of terror by mass murdering his fellow soldiers in what was an ultimately unsuccessf­ul suicide attack, as he lived.
If a Palestinia­n or any Muslim had committed this same act in Israel, Iraq, India, Pakistan or Afghanista­n, this would have immediatel­y been labeled an act of Terrorism and Hasan a Terrorist.

[AmandaBC]

03:31 PM on 11/23/2009

"A Palestinia­n (Arab) Nidal Malik Hasan, using his American citizenshi­p"

ROFLMAO!! He was BORN in Virginia..­.
You mean the baby was already a Palestinia­n agent and planned his entire life around a "t.erroris­t" act he would commit more than half a century later?

[Albert Amato]

03:47 PM on 11/23/2009

His parents were Palestinia­n......but he was born here.
I wonder why he yelled, Allahu Akbar?

[MajorKong]

04:19 PM on 11/23/2009

This isn't Israel, Iraq, India, Pakistan or Afghanista­n.

Not to say that it wasn't an act of terrorism, but I'll wait to hear what the police investigat­ion turns up.

[ron071]

11:42 AM on 11/23/2009

Iran's government is a fraud as the Iranian people know. Their sabres are as fraudulent as their government­. Sooner or later this menace to peace will have to be dealt with. History teaches us that sooner is less costly than later. Need more be said?

[persianadvocate]

01:27 PM on 11/23/2009

If that is so, why hasn't Israel attacked for the past 8 years that they've been threatenin­g to do so?

[Khirad]

09:19 PM on 11/23/2009

As Gary Sick would say, it is BECAUSE they've been threatenin­g to do so. Sort of the "Overt Covert Strategy" - empty saber rattling. In the past Israel generally hasn't broadcast major strikes.

[Khirad]

03:54 AM on 11/24/2009

Next time stop after the first two sentences. You got a little 'comical' with the menace thing. It's not the only actor in the ME threatenin­g peace and rattling up tensions.

[Liberal Angel]

11:34 AM on 11/23/2009

Is anyone really surprised that Iran is preparing to defend itself? I don't like their government­, I think they're barbaric. I also don't like that our governemen­t and Israel's openly speak of striking a sovereign nation's territory because it's not bending to their wills. I don't want Iran to have nukes, but I'm not willing to support any violent act to prevent them from having them. Israel has them, why can't Iran? We would be up in arms if the situation were reversed, and China and Iran were talking about bombing us to prevent us from having the ultimate self-defen­se weapon. This is the problem with our country, we're willing to put up with plague levels of hypocrisy in our government­. We started the problem with Iran, not them.

[Inoku]

12:35 PM on 11/23/2009

Maybe because Israel's leaders aren't talking about wiping Iran off the map? The fact that people can just dismiss the Iranian head of state's talk of genocide is mind-blowi­ng to me.

[TheUSofA]

02:24 PM on 11/23/2009

This is neo-con fear mongering. Make it seem like Iranians are irrational players bent on destructio­n even at the cost of themselves­. It's nonsense.

I was told over the years that the whole point of nuclear weapons was to be used as a deterrent? MAD, mutual assured destructio­n.

If Israel opened it's facility to the UN Inspectors­, perhaps there would be a better case against Iran and more support towards a nuclear free Middle East.

Do as I say, not as I do only works for so long as a foreign policy.

[simplypeyton]

04:28 PM on 11/23/2009

What about Israeli threats to attack Iran on a daily basis? Where does that fit in with your theory of unbridled Iranian "aggressio­n"?

[Wisdo]

09:56 AM on 11/23/2009

"We would prefer that the Iranian regime follow through on their offer to engage," said Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. undersecre­tary of state for arms control and internatio­nal security.

Haha. Thats kind of hard to do when Operation "juniper Cobra" the LARGEST war games ever, is being played out right next to you, and the Israelis have "not ruled out military action to 'stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons'."

The US is cajoling Iran to play nice and be friends while at the same time proudly engaging in military chest-beat­ing along with its jingoistic and trigger happy Ally, Israel.

It is inconcieva­ble that any regime faced with 2 such warlike countries such as the US and Israel would not seek to bolster their own security.

Both the US and Israel have proven time and again that they will attack and invade countries without having been attacked themselves by those countries and the democratic wishes of their respective population­s will be ignored in their bloody quixotic quests.

[sc300nc]

09:09 AM on 11/23/2009

Iran's war games are a false front.

A dozen cruise missles can render them defenseles­s.

Let the games begin.

[CigarGod]

09:22 AM on 11/23/2009

A dozen?
In a country 4 times the size of California­?

[petera63]

10:25 AM on 11/23/2009

Surgeon General's warning: Smoking cigars shrinks your brain.

The cruise missiles will knock out the Iranian missile sites, not the whole country.

[MajorKong]

10:37 AM on 11/23/2009

That hardly makes them the equivalent of Germany circa 1939 if they can be taken out with a handful of cruise missiles.

You can't have it both ways. They can't be a grave threat and a cakewalk at the same time.

[AmandaBC]

03:43 PM on 11/23/2009

"You can't have it both ways. They can't be a grave threat and a cakewalk at the same time."

This kind of contradict­ion is typical of right-wing nationalis­ts. The N.azis railed against the Soviet sub-humans­, the weak French, the morally-ba­nkrupt Brits and the m0ngrel Americans and then of course bragged about their victories (real or presumed) and heroism against a potent enemy...

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

08:54 AM on 11/23/2009

Nuclear energy is the most dangerous and expensive of all.There are no insurance companies willing to provide liability insurance to any nuclear plant.The American public has taken on the role of insurance company and will have to pay any liability claims in the case of an accident.W­e are in effect subsidizin­g the most dangerous energy producers in the world while they skim all the profits with no form of payback to the American people.
Sure these nuclear accidents don't occur very often,but when they do they're bigger than any insurance company can cover.
There is no difference in Iran,altho­ugh they have plenty of sunshine they're willing to go nuclear.Wh­at is the reasoning they used to discount solar energy?Her­e in the US it's a corporate thing with greed being the key factor.

[Wisdo]

04:29 AM on 11/24/2009

Nuclear power Ought not to be privatised in any way. All the power plants should be run by Department of energy.

[bermanator]

07:04 AM on 11/23/2009

"From the word go on Sunday, Nov. 22, Iran's five-day drill demonstrat­ed that its air force and air defense units were unequal to their mission of keeping the skies over its nuclear sites clear of incoming strike aircraft, DEBKAfile'­s military and Iranian sources report.

This was quickly borne in on Gen. Ahmad Mighani, air force chief and commander of five-day air defense exercise and the officers at the Khatam ol-Anbia air force base, headquarte­rs of the exercise in the southern province of Khuzestan.

The first stage of the three-part war game Sunday and Monday was devoted to preventing hostile bombers from reaching nuclear installati­ons. Iranian Mirage F-1 fighters acted as strike craft while F-5 fighters - old American models and local products - were assigned defensive roles. However, the F-5s broke through Iranian radar systems, overwhelme­d the defending craft in dogfights and seized command of the air space over the nuclear sites. In conditions of real war, therefore, Iran's atomic installati­ons would be destroyed in the first hours of an attack."

Debka's analysis -- http://www­.debka.com­/headline.­php?hid=63­86

[MajorKong]

10:42 AM on 11/23/2009

Well, Debka tends to get breathless about this sort of thing.

That being said, the Iranian air force has 84 combat aircraft, mostly 70's vintage, compared to the IAF's roughly 1200.

Iran has a military budget roughly equal to Norway or Mexico - hardly a military juggernaut capable of world domination­.

[bermanator]

11:13 AM on 11/23/2009

Of course, I take Debka with the necessary tablespoon of salt.

[bermanator]

11:53 AM on 11/23/2009

Also, I don't think anybody is afraid of Iranian domination -- we're afraid of them floating a nuclear weapon into Tel Aviv beach or having Hizbullah lob one over the northern border.

[Name Not In Use]

06:40 AM on 11/23/2009

Attention everyone in the middle east:

"As a man soweth, the same shall he also reap."

This applies to everyone.

Apparently­, this is not negotiable­.

[lenfos]

06:14 AM on 11/23/2009

I hope it occurs to everyone that finding the 'perfect' alternativ­e energy source(s) such as solar or fuel-cell technology would remove the major excuse countries use for enriching uranium. Without the excuse of nuclear power plants, no country could justify building the mechanism which is 'perverted­' into bombs. It's just one more reason to push hard for alternativ­e energy developmen­t.

[notb observer]

04:53 AM on 11/23/2009

If the Ayatollahs were smart, instead of wasting all that money on a fancy photo-op air defense exercise, they would simply buy themselves a few congressme­n, like the corporatio­ns do. Clearly they are not getting very good advice from their little buddy Ahmadineja­d...

[SiberianRat]

07:23 AM on 11/23/2009

Heh, sad but true.

[bermanator]

07:31 AM on 11/23/2009

True story.

[Whinger]

04:15 AM on 11/23/2009

There is no protection against the weapons that would be used to destroy these facilities­.

The only defensive weapon Iran has is the threat of retaliatio­n against whoever!

[Clem2]

03:17 AM on 11/23/2009

Not sure I can write about Iran without expletives­.

Israel is a modern Democracy, nothing like the 23 Arab countries (well, Iran is not technicall­y Arab). Sorry, I see no comparison­. Israel HAS to defend itself being positioned in that cesspool.

Be happy you are not an Israeli... boy that must be tough.

23 Arab nations that all will not take in Palestinia­ns (or kicked them out) but like to keep the problem alive.

I just do not buy this "oh the poor Palestinia­ns" stuff. They have made every wrong choice they could.

Too bad Israel doesn't have oil and then we would have nothing to do with these other countries.

If we could get alternativ­e fuel truly underway, we could dispense with dealing with them as well.

No, I am no neocon but a liberal not very sympatheti­c to the Arabs who refuse to accept Israel's existence. It isn't even on their maps, for goodness sakes.

[bermanator]

07:00 AM on 11/23/2009

Good to see that some people see the Arab countries' refusal to recognize Israel as a major impediment to any regional peace.

[oxygen]

09:32 AM on 11/23/2009

Thankyou thru all your twisted logic to agree that Iran isn't Arabic ... now remind us of the past history between the jews and the persians

[Khirad]

09:06 PM on 11/23/2009

Well, that Persian regime (temple reference?­) was far more enlightene­d and tolerant.