Iran’s Defense Industry Needless of Sanctions Relief

(FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan underscored that the country's defense industry is self-sufficient and is not waiting for the removal of sanctions to make progress.

"The defense ministry's defense industries has been formed based on self-sufficiency and cutting dependence, and as long as the sanctions or restrictions continue, our defense industries will be able to provide the country's defense needs proportionate to the threats to the country," Dehqan said, addressing the defense ministry personnel in Tehran on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, he appreciated the Iranian team of negotiators for their efforts which led to the attainment of a nuclear agreement with the world powers, and said the Iranian negotiators' principled positions showed the Islamic Republic's peace-seeking and justice-seeking face to the world.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.

Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced in 2014 that Iran has become self-sufficient in production of military hardware, adding that the country is now an arms exporter to the neighboring and friendly states.

"Today the Islamic Republic of Iran exports military hardware to the neighboring and friendly countries for defense purposes," IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said.

He reiterated that the arrogant powers, specially the US, are trying to paralyze Iran's economy through a reduction and blocking of the international banking services to the country, adding that Washington will use any means for striking a blow on Iran.

General Hajizadeh pointed to the ineffectiveness of enemies' sanctions, and said that the global arrogance only understands the language of force and confrontation and the presence of Iran in the nuclear negotiations is only aimed at convincing some third parties that "the US makes false promises".

He noted that Iran is looking to nullify the sanctions through making use of domestic production capacities and active man power.