TEHRAN - Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Iran’s defense minister, said on Saturday that “the sanctions imposed by the former U.S. administration against Iran’s shipping and transportation will further strengthen the two sectors.”

While visiting the production units of the modern home-made training jet, named Yasin, General Hatami noted, “Anytime that the enemies wanted to impose stricter conditions (against Iran), our industries further moved towards self-sufficiency and invention.”

Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. secretary of state, declared the sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), its China-based subsidiary, E-Sail Shipping, and Mahan Air airline in December. In recent years, the Trump administration worked hard to isolate Iran politically and economically by imposing crippling economic sanctions. 

General Hatami underlined that the cruel and illegal sanctions against the Iranian Armed Forces and defense industry are not new, adding, “The Air Force has been a subject to harsh sanctions for many years, but it has always attained self-sufficiency with vigor and self-confidence, and indeed the aviation industry is a perfect role model for the Armed Forces and the country in countering sanctions.”

“Although sanctions have created problems, they made us turn our attention to internal capacities and capabilities, and for this reason, today, despite the will of the enemy, Iran is much stronger and more powerful than the first years of the Islamic Revolution,” he pointed out.

The sanctions against Iran’s defense industry aim to restrict Iran’s military capabilities, however, the recent drills across the country showed the U.S. has failed to contain Iran’s deterrence power. In such a situation, Biden’s new administration is seeking to persuade Iran to negotiate over its defensive missile programs and its growing influence in the region.

EE/PA