Satellite images show Iran tried to cover up Israeli missile strike

Ibrahim Raisi, President of Iran, threatened the destruction of the “Zionist regime”; in the event of a further Israeli attack Photo: IRANIAN PRESIDENCY/ZUMA PRESS

Iran replaced the destroyed radar installation hours after the Israeli strike on the air base last week, trying to make it appear as if the damage was minimal as claimed.

Satellite imagery of an air base near the Natanz nuclear complex near Tehran shows that suspected Israeli air-launched ballistic missiles damaged a Russian-made radar installation used by Iran.

The strike is believed to have been carried out to show that Iran's missile defense systems could be successfully destroyed by Israel from a great distance, effectively acting as a warning.

This happened in response to Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel on April 13.

Images of the site, first reported by The Economist on Wednesday, show that Iran moved a separate radar battery to a position previously occupied by damaged equipment shortly after the attack in an attempt to minimize the scale of the Israeli response.

< p> Iran appears to have replaced the first radar, the Russian Tombstone, with a different system.

It also positioned the air defenses associated with the radar as if they were ready to fire, although they, probably become useless.

Immediately after the strike, Iran said it was attacked by small Israeli drones, but they were intercepted and no damage was caused.

Israel has intercepted almost all drones and missiles fired from Iran, such as this one that landed in the Dead Sea. Photo: MENACHEM KAHANA /AFP

This airbase is strategically important for the Iranian regime and is part of the defense of the Natanz complex where nuclear weapons are allegedly being created.

Chris Biggers, a former US intelligence official at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, said Iran deliberately covered up the effects of the Israeli strike to suggest it was unsuccessful.

“This is a case of denial and deception to suggest that the target is still operational,” he told The Economist.

He told The Telegraph that Iran also removed its missile batteries from the site immediately after the attack, in anticipation of a second Israeli strike.

The news comes as Iran said it would not respond militarily to an Israeli attack, despite saying in advance it was prepared to retaliate.

Instead, the regime downplayed the Israeli strike, apparently trying to avoid escalation of the conflict. into a regional war.

«Adventurism and actions against our interests»

Stating that Iranian facilities remained virtually undamaged, Iran's foreign minister said last Friday: «If Israel wants to commit another adventurism and act against Iran's interests, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level.»< /p>

World leaders, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have called on Israel and Iran to show restraint and avoid all-out war.

On Wednesday, Iran and Pakistan issued a joint statement calling on the UN Security Council to condemn Israel for the attack.

“Recognizing that the irresponsible act of the Israeli regime forces was a serious escalation in an already unstable region, both sides called on the UN Security Council to prevent the Israeli regime from adventurism in the region and its illegal actions directed against its neighbors,” both countries said.

During a recent visit to Pakistan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was quoted by the state news agency IRNA as warning that any further Israeli attack could lead to the complete destruction of the “Zionist regime.”

< p>Pakistan has previously called for de-escalation by “all sides.”