TEHRAN – An Iranian lawmaker has said that Iran has moved to develop its missile and drone capabilities in the wake of the Iraq-Iraq war of the 1980s, and those capabilities have challenged the U.S. military hegemony in the West Asia region. 

“The strategy of the Islamic Republic after the end of the war was to develop the missile industry and build drones, which achieved significant success in this field. Today, Americans and NATO commanders admit the power of Iran's drones, and this power has challenged America's military dominance in the region and the world,” Javad Karimi Qodousi, who is a member of Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Iran’s state news agency IRNA. 

He added, “Iran's strategy in building drones is to maintain the security of the country's surrounding environment up to a depth of 2,000 kilometers. When this weapon is provided to Lebanon's Hezbollah, it can be effective in dealing with the threat of the enemies of Islam.”

Referring to displays of the Iranian drones in the recent parade of the Venezuelan army, the lawmaker said, “The demonstration of part of the missile and drone power of the Islamic Republic through the media has worried the enemies, and this drone power is a deterrent for Iran and a source of hope for its friends.”

Karimi Qodousi pointed out, “The development and strengthening of Iran's drone power is effective in the integration of Islamic countries, and this power can certainly be effective in the peace and stability of the region.”

He added, “According to the declared policy of the Leader of the Revolution, any person, group or country who stands up against the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic will support him with all its might, and the Islamic Republic can provide them with knowledge in the field of drones.”

The MP considered NATO to be a great danger to the security of the region, saying, “Iran and Russia's concern about the expansion of NATO is (the basis of) cooperation of the two countries in the field of foreign policy.”

Qodousi considered the request of some countries to buy drones from Iran as a sign of power and progress of the country's defense sector. 

“The general policy of the Islamic Republic is to sell drones. Just as the West allows itself to allocate 50 billion dollars in arms aid in the case of Ukraine, and England, France and Germany also supported this issue,” he said. 

Iran’s drone capabilities are nothing new. Over the last decade, Iran, thanks to its native scientists, has succeeded in developing a full range of combat, reconnaissance, and surveillance drones. The latest major achievement in this regard was unveiled earlier this month when the Iranian Army’s navy inaugurated its first drone carrier which included a variety of modern and advanced types of drones all produced and manufactured by Iranian experts in the Army and the Ministry of Defense.