Mystery Blasts Put Iran's Defense On 'High Alert'

Mysterious explosions at key facilities tied to Iran’s military and nuclear programs this month has put portions of its air defense system on "high alert,” CNN reported Thursday.

Citing “several” intelligence indications, an unnamed U.S. official told the news outlet the alert escalation means Iranian surface-to-air missile batteries would be ready to fire at targets perceived to be a threat.

The official wouldn’t say how the indicators were picked up, but CNN noted satellites, spy planes, and ships routinely operate in nearby international airspace and waters — and continuously monitor Iranian activity.

Iran has struggled to explain the cause of the mystery blasts, including one on July 2 at the Natanz compound that caused major damage to a site that’s been key to the country's uranium enrichment program, CNN reported.

Iranian state TV has previously cited an anonymous security official saying an investigation of that fire found "no evidence" of sabotage.

But the BBC's Persian service has also reported receiving a statement from an unknown group calling themselves "Cheetahs of the Homeland," claiming they were behind that explosion. They didn’t provide evidence, CNN noted.

CNN reported other unexplained incidents in recent weeks include a large blast near the town of Parchin and its military complex. Another explosion hit the Zargan power plant in Ahvaz. That incident was quickly followed by a suspected chlorine leak that made dozens ill in southeast Iran.

Some speculation has centered on a theory that Israel may be behind some of the explosions, even though U.S. officials originally said the Israelis had assured them they were not responsible, CNN reported.

The unnamed U.S. official told CNN a big concern is that Iran could "lash out" and counterattack in an unpredictable fashion if it believes it may be under attack by Israel or the United States.

The United States is also concerned that Iran's unreliability in operating its air defense systems means moving to a high alert status could also pose a threat on its own, CNN reported.

In January, a civilian Ukraine airliner was shot down shortly after takeoff by a surface to air missile launched mistakenly by Iran.

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