Last Updated on July 17, 2020, 6:37 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The United States has several intelligence indications that Iran has put some of its air defence systems on high alert in recent days.
While the officials have refused to specify how the United States got hold of the intelligence, however, he or she confirmed that the Islamic Republic had changed the alert status on its surface-to-air missile batteries, in a move indicating that it would fire at airborne targets which would be perceived as a potential threat.
Earlier this year, Iran confirmed that its air defence batteries shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 people on board by mistake after it mistook the civilian aircraft to be a United States drone.
The plane, which was a Boeing 737-800 en route for Kiev, came down shortly after its take-off from Tehran while Iran was on alert for the United States reprisals after launching rockets at United States troops in Iraqi bases.
The dispute erupted after the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander and Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (The Engineer) by the United States at the Baghdad International Airport five days before the shooting down of the Ukrainian plane.
According to reports, the United States military officials have refused to comment publicly on the potential United States intelligence regarding the latest change of status of Iran’s alert on the ground.
However, the change is reportedly not a part of the training exercise, but it is a response to a series of blasts.
A series of explosions on the nuclear sites and strategic infrastructure of Iran, which were reported in late June have rocked Iran. The mysterious explosions have been going on for three weeks, and have led to 21 deaths so far.
The explosions have been unofficially attributed to the Israeli cyberattacks and the covert strikes by the United States and Israeli forces.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
