TEHRAN – Iran on Thursday unveiled a number of new homegrown missiles, including long-range ballistic and cruise missiles, as the Islamic Republic marked the National Defense Industry Day.

Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said Iran had inaugurated a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 1,400 kilometers named after top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the U.S. military in January.

“We are mature in the defense industry,” Hatami said at the ceremony, adding, “Iran provides more than 770 defense items, counting for up to 90% of the needs of the armed forces.”

“The country’s defense advances in the last four decades are not comparable to any similar period,” he pointed out.

According to Hatami, in the last few years, Iran has achieved remarkable progress in defense sector, in particular, in the recent three years among which it can be referred to as the unveiling of the Kowsar fighter jets.

“The advanced Yasin training jet was designed and built with a new and indigenous platform. With the production of Yasin, A90, and Fajr 3 training aircraft, which are in the operational testing phase, the complete cycle of training aircraft will take place,” the defense chief added.

The Thursday ceremony was attended via video conference by President Hassan Rouhani.

Hatami explained that Martyr Soleimani ballistic missile has a range of 1,400 kilometers and Martyr Abu-Mahdi cruise missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers.

The defense industry “with 770 various product groups can meet the demands of the Iranian Armed Forces in wars,” Hatami stated.

In the missile sector, Hatami said, deterrence power is a significant factor in today’s world.

On January 3, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered strikes that martyred General Soleimani, chief of the IRGC Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

In the early hours of January 8, the IRGC attacked the U.S. airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq as part of its promised “tough revenge” for the U.S. terror attack.

During the ceremony, President Rouhani praised all Iranian academics, experts and science-based firms for working hard to pave the way for the country’s defense sector to grow stronger.

He also underlined the importance of cruise missiles for Iran’s defense industry. “The fact that we have increased the range from 300 to 1000 in less than two years shows the country is on the path of production and self-sufficiency in this field.”

MH/PA