Israeli Defence Minister calls for calm over rumoured attack on Iran
JERUSALEM (AFP) Dec 22, 2004 Israeli Defence Minister Shaoul Mofaz on Wednesday asked to "calm things down" concerning the possibility of his country striking Iranian nuclear installations. "We have to calm things down concerning the so-called intentions attributed to Israel" of attacking Iran, Mofaz said in a television interview.
"I think that the way the United States is campaigning against Iranian leaders' desire to produce weapons of mass destruction is the right one," he told Channel 10.
He was responding to declarations made by Iranian army chief General Mohammad Salimi that his country's armed forces had been ordered to prepare to defend its nuclear sites against an attack.
"The air force has been ordered to protect the nuclear sites, using all its power," Salimi said Wednesday, quoted by the government daily Iran.
"The air force has temporarily suspended all its maneuvers and focused its means on patrolling the sky," he added.
"All our forces including land forces, anti-aircraft, radar tactics ... are protecting the nuclear sites and an attack on them will not be simple," the general said.
American newspapers and the regional press have speculated over a possible US or Israeli attack on the nuclear sites of Iran, which the Jewish state and Washington suspect of working to develop a bomb.
US and Israeli officials have denied any such plans.
Iran to shoot down ‘flying objects’ near nuclear facilities
December 26, 2004
TEHRAN: Iran’s air force has been ordered to shoot down any unidentified or suspicious flying objects in Iran’s airspace, an air force spokesman said on Saturday, amid state-media reports of sightings of flying objects near Iran’s nuclear installations.
“All anti-aircraft units and jet fighters have been ordered to shoot down the flying objects over Iran’s airspace,” spokesman of the Regular Army Air Force Colonel Salman Mahini said.
Flying object fever has gripped Iran after dozens of reported sightings in the summer and in recent weeks. State-run media has reported sightings of unidentified objects flying over parts of Iran where nuclear facilities are located.
“The unidentified flying objects could be satellites, comets or spying or reconnaissance crafts trying to monitor Iran’s nuclear installations,” Mahini said.
“Flights of unknown objects in the country’s airspace have increased in recent weeks ... (they) have been seen over Bushehr and Isfahan provinces,” the Resalat newspaper reported on Saturday.
There are nuclear facilities in both provinces. The timing of the reported increase in sightings, which comes as the US is urging allies to confront Iran over its nuclear program, has strengthened Iranian public perceptions that the objects are surveillance or hostile aircrafts monitoring Iran.
Iran’s Air Force chief General Karim Ghavami was quoted in Iranian newspapers Saturday as saying that Iran was fully prepared to defend any threat to its nuclear installations. “We have arranged plans to defend nuclear facilities from any threat. Iran’s Air Force is watchful and prepared to carry out its responsibilities,” Ghavami was quoted as saying. The paper had reported that “shining objects” in the sky were seen near Natanz — where Iran’s uranium enrichment plant is located — and one had exploded, causing “concern and panic in the region.” ap
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