TEHRAN- The head of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) has emphasized the nation’s independence in producing military hardware, particularly drones, and said that several nations are interested in buying Iranian defense items.

Brigadier General Afshin Khajeh Fard praised the advancements made in the field of creating manned drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with fixed and moveable wings during a Monday speech at the AJA University of Command and Staff.

“We first wanted to buy military equipment, but we were unable to do so because of Western sanctions. But now, we are able to accept a lot of requests from many nations for the purchase of our defense equipment and collaboration,” he stated.

He went on to add, “Unfortunately, trust in domestic products is still low in our society, but the numerous requests for the purchase of equipment, as well as unmanned and manned drones, indicate the high status of this capability. Therefore, we should increase the domestic power and upgrade our beliefs.”

The general also mentioned that despite broad-based sanctions aimed at the military industry, the IAIO has maintained the nation’s helicopter, commercial, and fighter fleets in a ready-to-use state.

“Many countries buy the most cutting-edge equipment and fighter jets to meet their military needs, but we face extensive restrictions in procuring the equipment due to sanctions and pressure,” he continued.

He pointed out that “as a result, we started to refurbish, maintain, and rebuild our equipment that were destroyed during the war imposed by Iraq in the 1980s. After repairing every damaged helicopter, we concentrated on building domestic fighter aircraft and helicopters.”

“The military in Iran is now entirely self-sufficient in terms of weapons thanks to significant advancements made in recent years by military specialists and technologists,” the defense official highlighted.  

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has consistently urged efforts to preserve and improve Iran’s military capabilities in retaliation for the opponents’ denials of the nation’s missile program.