Iran holds air defense drill, scrambling jets to intercept ‘enemy aircraft’

Iran entered into the second day of a large air defense exercise that simulated the penetration of enemy planes into its territory, the country’s Fars News Agency reported on Monday.

The spokesman for the current air defense drills, General Shahroukh Shahram, boasted that Iran’s military units are more than ready to defend the country against an air assault.

“Ground-to-air missile and artillery systems of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army are fully prepared to defend the Islamic homeland’s territory,” he declared.

During the course of the exercises, held in the northwestern region of Iran, radar units first practiced identifying invading aircraft attempting to reach sensitive industrial areas and then scrambling planes to head them off.

The three-day military maneuvers began on Sunday and focus on “defending the Islamic Republic of Iran’s vital national interests and national security,” Fars said.

Israel has long indicated that a military strike against Iran might be necessary to stop the regime’s nuclear program should diplomatic efforts fail.