Bloomberg: NATO air reconnaissance shifts focus from Russia to Iran

NATO’s priority for conducting air reconnaissance from Turkish territory has shifted from Russia to Iran, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Alliance has repeatedly used its modern Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, based in Türkiye, to monitor both countries. However, according to Bloomberg’s sources, the frequency of flights from the city of Konya, located in central Anatolia, for surveillance over Iran has increased.

Sources also said that Türkiye is preparing for the possibility of a U.S. strike on Iran. Ankara is increasingly concerned that such a conflict could trigger a new influx of refugees into Türkiye, mainly consisting of people from Pakistan and Afghanistan residing in Iranian territory, along with the associated economic challenges.

Officials have reportedly been updating emergency plans to manage a potential mass influx of refugees, including the possible establishment of camps near the Iranian border.

By Vugar Khalilov