TEHRAN – Iran’s defense minister announced on Monday that his government department has seen a surge in sales in the past two years.

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani did not specify what products the ministry has been selling but said that countries trying to counter terrorism and drug trafficking are avid buyers of Iranian-made equipment. “Our sales have more than tripled in the past two years,” he noted.

The Iranian defense ministry attracted a lot of attention in August when it put several homegrown military systems and weapons on display at the International Military Forum ARMY-2023 in Russia. 

For the past three decades, Iran has put huge efforts into developing advanced weapons and defense systems. According to previous statements by Iranian officials, at least 30 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America have expressed willingness to buy equipment from the Islamic Republic.