Telegraph: Iran on high alert for Israeli attack

The Telegraph newspaper said that Iran has put the defense systems around its nuclear sites on high alert amid fears of a possible attack from Israel and the United States.

The British newspaper quoted two senior government sources as saying that Iran had strengthened defenses around its main nuclear and missile sites, including deploying additional launchers for air defense systems.

Officials said the measures were in response to growing concerns about possible joint military action by Israel and the United States.

This comes after warnings from US intelligence to both the Joe Biden and Donald Trump administrations that Israel is likely to target key Iranian nuclear sites this year.

“They (Iranian authorities) are waiting for the attack, they expect it every night, everything is on high alert, even in locations that no one knows about,” one source told the Telegraph.

“Work to fortify nuclear sites has been going on for years, but it has intensified over the past year, especially since Israel launched the first attack,” he added.

“Recent developments, including statements by Donald Trump and reports of possible plans by his administration to strike Iran, have further intensified efforts”.

Iran and Israel have exchanged attacks over the past year, and now Iran fears that with the support of Trump, who has called on Israel to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, an Israeli attack may be imminent.

One official acknowledged that any major strike could leave Iran vulnerable because its defense systems were severely weakened by Israeli strikes last year.

“Several additional air defense system launchers have been deployed, but there is an assessment that they may not be effective in the event of a large-scale strike,” he said.

Iran has developed a domestic air defense system and possesses Russian S-300 missile systems to protect its nuclear sites.

However, these systems are believed to be not powerful enough to protect against Israel’s advanced weapons, prompting Iran to pressure Russia to speed up the delivery of the S-400 missile systems.

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, recently announced that Iran is also developing a ballistic missile defense system to counter any Israeli attack.

He said the defense system would be ready in March to secure Tehran and several major cities.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has resumed his maximum pressure campaign on Iran, including efforts to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons by reducing its oil exports to zero.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that with Trump’s support, his government would finish the job with Iran.

Trump has expressed his preference for reaching an agreement with Tehran, but has also made clear that he is considering taking US military action if negotiations fail.

An Iranian official told the Telegraph that there were now fears in Tehran that the US could join in and launch a wider attack that would endanger the existence of the Islamic Republic.