Iran’s air force on alert to defend nuclear sites

12/23/2004 6:55:00 AM GMT

Iran’s military has been ordered to stand ready to defend the country in case of an attack targeting its nuclear facilities, army chief General Mohammad Salimi said on Wednesday.

Gen Mohammad Salimi said that the training had been suspended to concentrate more on patrolling the sky.

"The air force has been ordered to protect the nuclear sites, using all its power," Mr. Salimi told a government newspaper. "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.

Iran fears that Israel may launch a military strike on its nuclear sites as it has repeatedly accused Tehran of developing nuclear weapons, claims that Iran strongly rejects.

Also Wednesday, Iran said it had arrested at least 10 spies paid by Israel and the U.S. to pass information on Iran’s nuclear program.

Gen Salimi's remarks came amid claims that the U.S. military planners have run simulations of a complex attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

The U.S. magazine, Atlantic Monthly, has speculated over a possible U.S. and Israeli attack targeting Iran’s nuclear sites. However, the U.S. and Israeli officials have denied any such plans.

During an Iranian cabinet meeting, Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi asserted that those who were arrested for spying had been working for the CIA and Mossad.

Also an official said that three of those arrested had been working within the state's nuclear programme itself.

In August, Tehran announced the arrest of a number of spies accused of passing secret information to other countries.

"More than 10 nuclear spies were arrested during the current Iranian year," Mr. Yunesi was quoted by the official Irna news agency as saying.

"They are currently in the custody of the revolutionary court, and we will not announce their names before their trials ... There is no prominent person among them," Mr Yunesi added.

He added that the 10 were arrested in Tehran and Hormuzgan in southern Iran.

The U.S. claims that Iran is covertly trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran denies those allegations and maintains that its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes, like generating energy.

Last month an opposition political movement in Iran claimed that the Islamic republic was hiding a uranium enrichment facility in Tehran and that it aimed at getting the atomic bomb next year.

The group also said that Pakistani scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan gave Iran bomb designs and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium.