Enhanced defense power sole way to counter US sanctions: Iran defense minister
Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has stressed the importance of making more efforts to bolster the country's development in various fields, saying boosting defense capabilities is the only viable option to counter the US sanctions.
"The only way to counter the [US] sanctions is to increase and develop power in all vital components, particularly [Iran's] defense might," Hatami said on Saturday.
"The enemy is targeting our lives today and beyond inflicting damage on the Islamic Iran, it seeks to eliminate us," he added.
The Iranian defense chief warned that the arrogant system and its allies are trying to penetrate the infrastructure and cultural, political, economic and particularly military plans of the Islamic Republic and said access to information about wars and confrontations are among the main factors of superiority in conflicts.
"Thank God, the conspiracy of the US-spearheaded hegemonic system against the Islamic Iran has failed in different fronts but the enemy will not spare a chance to hit the country,” Hatami pointed out.
He said Iran is currently playing a leading role in the region by virtue of boosting its resistance and defense power as well as relying on national capacities.
Back in February, the senior spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces reiterated Iran's message of peace and friendship to the world, emphasizing that the country seeks no one's permission to boost its defense capabilities.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran manufactures any equipment it requires to defend the country and will not ask for anybody's permission in this regard," Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi told IRNA.
Over the past years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing military equipment and hardware despite sanctions and economic pressures on the country.
The Islamic Republic maintains that its military power poses no threat to other countries and is based on its military doctrine of deterrence.
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