US F-16 warplanes intercepted two Russian bombers in international airspace near Alaska on Tuesday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said.

Iran PressAmerica: The Tu-95 bombers were intercepted after "entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone," North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) said in a statement.

The Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, is a perimeter in which air traffic is monitored beyond the border of the national airspace to provide additional reaction time in case of hostile actions.

While tensions are high between the United States and Russia over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, NORAD said the bombers were not seen as a threat.

The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, according to the statement.

"The recent Russian activity in the North American ADIZ is not seen as a threat nor is the activity seen as provocative," it said. "NORAD tracks and positively identifies foreign military aircraft that enter the ADIZ. NORAD routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as necessary, escorts them from the ADIZ.”

NORAD said it employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based radars, airborne radar, and fighter aircraft to track and identify aircraft and inform appropriate actions. 219