U.S. says exercise by Israel seemed directed at Iran - International Herald Tribune - 0 views
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A second, the official said, was to send a clear message to the United States and other countries that Israel was prepared to act militarily if diplomatic efforts to stop Iran from producing bomb-grade uranium continued to falter.
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But American officials were also told that Israel had prepared plans for striking nuclear targets in Iran and could carry them out if needed.
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"They are clearly nervous about this and have their air defense on guard," a Bush administration official said of the Iranians.
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Two sets of advance Russian-made radar systems were recently delivered to Iran. The radar will enhance Iran's ability to detect planes flying at low altitude.
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Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, said in February that Iran was close to acquiring Russian-produced SA-20 surface-to-air missiles. American military officials said that the deployment of such systems would hamper Israel's attack planning, putting pressure on Israel to act before the missiles are fielded.