TEHRAN- The Iranian defense minister has made it clear that Tehran sees international waters as the nation’s first line of defense against its adversaries, emphasizing the necessity for the highly developed maritime industry to maintain a commanding presence there.

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani made the statement on Saturday at a ceremony at the Marine Industries Organization (MIO), a division of the Iranian Defense Ministry. 

“The seas are the frontline of our confrontation and encounter with the enemies, and some of the threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran are rooted in the seas,” he added.

He went to highlight, “Therefore, we need an advanced, powerful and multi-purpose marine industry with international capabilities in order to have a strong presence in waterways and water lands.”

Additionally, Ashtiani referred to marine science and technology as "the driving force" behind the nation's naval sector.

He continued by saying that the assistance of several Defense Ministry divisions including missile, radar, air defense, and electronics will complete the scientific chain of the maritime sector.

The minister also stressed the necessity of developing novel products utilizing existing capabilities and exploiting military advancements in inventive and creative ways.

He pointed out that the nation’s economy, trade, industry, and military depend on having a strong marine presence.

The Iranian Navy has become self-sufficient in producing both surface and subsurface ships.

In order to safeguard naval channels and ensure the safety of commercial ships and tankers, it has also boosted its presence in international waterways. Throughout its deployments in international seas, the Navy has been able to thwart a number of attacks against Iranian and foreign commercial ships.

The 86th flotilla of warships for the Iranian Navy recently completed a successful round-the-world voyage after traveling 63,000 kilometers over the course of eight months. The flotilla included the indigenous Dena destroyer and Makran forward base ship.

Last week, Ashtiani said that the ministry’s exports of military defense products tripled in the past Persian calendar year, which ended on March 20.

Brigadier General Ashtiani noted that his ministry is working to improve Iran’s military prowess by increasing the production of both military and civilian items and services, boosting the capability of missiles, drones, air defense, and electronic warfare, and pursuing defense diplomacy with a focus on export capacity building.

Speaking in a gathering of senior managers at the Defense Ministry, he stressed that “due to the efforts of the Defense Ministry, we registered a threefold increase in exports, a twofold rise in the production of civilian goods and services, and an 81 percent increase in military production last year.”

“This path will continue with more strength and endeavor this Persian calendar year which is named ‘Inflation Control; Growth in Production’,” he added.

Additionally, Ashtiani highlighted that the Defense Ministry is prepared to uphold the Islamic Republic’s technical, scientific, and military dominance under even the most difficult and challenging conditions imposed by the adversaries.

He went on to highlight that the military in Iran is now entirely self-sufficient in terms of weapons thanks to recent significant progress achieved by military scientists and professionals.

Iranian officials have cautioned that the nation will not hold back on bolstering its military capabilities, which are only intended for defense.