Russia's Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov

February 18, 2012 (TSR) – Moscow is making preparations to respond to a possible Israeli or US military strike against Iran in 2012, report says.

According to World Tribune, the Kremlin has ordered the military to draft options for a Russian response to any foreign attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The report added that the Russian Defense Ministry has set up a facility to monitor Tehran as Moscow’s close ally and trading partner.

Russia's Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov

“Iran has become the leading focus of the Kremlin with the Defense Ministry establishing a center to closely monitor the situation in Iran and the rest of the Middle East,” Russia’s Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov said.

The Russian general added that international pressure on Iran over the country’s nuclear program has been growing and could be followed by military action.

“We used to have a general on duty at each main command. Now, we have created a situation center that receives all the necessary information in real-time,” he added.

According to World Tribune, the United States has also increased monitoring Israel and Iran out of concern for a regional war in 2012.

The United States and Israel accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program.

Under this pretext, Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the “option” of a military strike against its atomic facilities.

On February 9, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman once again threatened Tehran with military strike over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

“Israel has a large selection of ways, when the world of international sanctions fails to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear program,” the Israeli official told UN envoys in New York.

Iran has refuted the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

SOURCE

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