NATO shifts air surveillance focus from Russia to Iran - Bloomberg
NATO has shifted the focus of its air surveillance operations in Turkey from Russia to Iran as the risk of a US-led military campaign against Tehran rises, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The alliance has increasingly deployed its AWACS radar planes from the central Anatolian city of Konya to monitor Iran, the report said.
The report added that Turkey is making preparations for a possible US-led strike against Iran, a move the sources cited by Bloomberg said could force Tehran to make concessions on a number of issues, including curtailing its nuclear program, followed by a wider attack if Iran refuses to do so.
Turkey has updated its contingency plans to prepare for large numbers of displaced people in the event of a major conflict, the report said.
These options range from setting up camps near the border or entering Iranian territory to stop refugees from crossing into Turkey, Bloomberg added citing its sources.
"The latter would only be considered in the case of a power vacuum in Iran."
