An aerial view of the Persian Gulf region

Following reports of an explosion-like sound near Iran’s nuclear power plant near the southern city of Bushehr, an Iranian official says it was an anti-aircraft fire, which was part of military drills in the area.

Mohammad Taghi Irani, deputy governor of Bushehr Province for security affairs, said a military drill was held near the nuclear power plant in the province in the early hours of Monday with the aim of enhancing the capabilities of air defense systems.

This exercise took place at 5 am (0130 GMT) with the necessary preparation and full coordination with the armed forces, Irani told reporters.

He noted that the military drill took place in the southern parts of Bushehr Province and in the Persian Gulf area.

Earlier this month, Iran’s air defense force said it fired missiles in the central city of Natanz, where a nuclear site is located, to test rapid reaction force.

The drills come as Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Monday warned Israel of a ’crushing’ response to any attack on its nuclear and military sites, emphasizing that the country will target the source of any aggression against its sensitive sites.

If such threats are carried out, the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces will immediately and decisively attack all centers, bases, routes, and spaces used to carry out the aggression, Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said at a meeting with commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force.