“Foes try to undermine Iran’s political stability, regional clout”

June 27, 2023 - 22:3

TEHRAN- Iran’s Defense Ministry has said that the enemies do their best to undermine Iran’s political stability, defensive power, and regional clout through combined and cognitive war.

Speaking at the Malek Ashtar University of Technology on Monday, Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani noted that his ministry is liable to supplying the armed forces with weapons and equipment through interaction and cooperation among various knowledge-based companies. 

“The Ministry of Defense plays a very important role in strengthening the country’s defense base and works in the path of effective deterrence,” he added.

General Ashtiani went on to highlight that “since the inception of the Islamic Revolution, it has invariably been under attack by the enemies from all sides.” He added, “Such a matter is enough for the Revolution to encounter with numerous issues but with God’s help, all of them have been overcome.”   

The defense minister also remarked that there is a lack of recognition sometimes in this regard, saying, “Any phenomenon can be good for some and cause problems for others. So, it can be assessed in the interaction with us.”

“If this is the case, we are on the right path and on the path of obeying the divine ideals, every phenomenon that happens will be good for us,” he continued.  

Additionally, General Ashtiani said that during the past two years, Iran’s defensive programs have made a tremendous leap.

Ali Akbar Ahamadian, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, also stated on Monday that “our victory and great achievements against the world’s hegemony have resulted from ‘civilization-building thinking’ in the field of defense and security.”

Given the requirements of civilization, which is based on correctly extracting basic questions and answering them in accordance with the domestic environment and experiences, he added, “It is necessary to create convergence in strategic areas to be on the path of civilization.”

Ahmadian went to say that Iran’s defense deterrence as well as the stunning progress of the Ministry of Defense in the field of technology and production of all kinds of defense equipment are the result of following the civilization-building requirements that are based on the principles and values of the Islamic Revolution.

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

He said that his ministry is working to improve 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.

He also 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.