Iran’s biggest defense air drill which kicked off on Tuesday was marred by reports of unidentified foreign airplanes violating its airspace.

The spokesman for the exercise, General Harmid Arjangi stated that the planes were picked up on by Iran’s radar stations and observation posts during the drill which lasted five days. The drill is aimed at displaying the country’s ability to protect its nuclear facilities from possible attacks.

It was scheduled after the Iranian Air Force reported that it had conducted similar exercises in several facilities, including the uranium enrichment sites in Natanz and Fordo, the nuclear power plant at Bushehr and the nuclear conversion plant near Isfahan.

The spokesman’s claims could not however be substantiated and it was not specified whether the aircraft were pilotless drones sent for monitoring or warplanes. He had at first only revealed that foreign reconnaissance planes had approached the country’s airspace.

The General went on to report that in all six instances of intrusion, air force jet fighters carried out interception measures; the alerting of artillery systems, identification of targets and the giving of all the necessary warnings.

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is based across the Persian Gulf in Bahrain, said through a spokesman that it had received no reports over the alleged intrusion.
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