TEHRAN – Brigadier General Talaei-Nick, the Deputy Defense Minister, has said that there are some European countries willing to purchase Iranian drones, pointing to the requests sent to Iran for its drones. 

Talking to Tasnim in an interview published on Saturday, the general said that some locally-made defense products are for sale. 

He added that in case Iran is sure that drones would not be used inappropriately, the country is ready to export some of its drones, considering the domestic needs and the capacity of the production. 

On purchasing weapons, he said domestic products are prioritized, but in cases when foreign supplies are needed to meet the needs, especially in the field of air combat, the country will move according to its needs. 

Asked about the process of purchasing weapons from other countries, the general said the type of equipment that is needed should be evaluated in comparison with its domestic ones and similar ones in other countries.

Moreover, he said, it should be confirmed in terms of price and quality by authorities and that buying weapons from abroad is a long-term process. 

General Talaei Nik also pointed to the training process which is needed for special types of weapons, where the foreign parties’ cooperation is also needed.  

The deputy defense minister added that financial provision and signing contracts must be done within a predetermined process, which take place within the framework of legal and international considerations.

The Defense Ministry official also said “exchanges with Russia” are still going on, noting that none of the “previously agreed exchanges” with Russia have been canceled.  

On delivery of any “airplanes” to Iran, the general said if any agreements are finalized they will be publicly announced, stressing security considerations prevent countries from announcing their plans until they are finalized.