TEHRAN -- Head of the international affairs department of Iran’s defense ministry has hailed the country’s advanced technology used to manufacture weapons, saying Iranian arms are today perceived as a “game changer” in the international arena.
Second Brigadier General Hamzeh Qalandari said the world was surprised by Iranian weapons after the lifting of a 13-year UN arms embargo in October 2020.
“A country that had problems in all areas and was prohibited from any technology, has today reached a place on the edge of technology, with its weapons described in international media as a ‘game changer,’” he told IRNA.
“This fact led many countries to buy Iranian weapons or renovate and rebuild their own defense equipment using Iranian technology and equipment following the removal of the embargo.”
Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.
Iranian officials have made clear that the country will never bow to pressure to scale down its military programs, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense.
The international community today acknowledges that Iran engaged in a true battle against terrorism and that U.S.-assassinated General Qassem Soleimnai was the greatest commander in the fight against the ominous scourge, the defense official said.
“Regarding the issues raised as the SCO’s main goals, i.e. the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism, perhaps no one has had the experience of a true struggle as much as the Islamic Republic of Iran does,” he said.
“It is worth mentioning that today the international community acknowledges that Martyr Soleimani was the greatest commander in the fight against terrorism.”
Elsewhere in his interview, Qalandari referred to the talks between Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and his counterparts on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)’s defense ministers in the Indian capital of New Delhi late last month.
“Most of the meetings featured a serious willingness to form an alliance and improve the level of defense and security cooperation with the Islamic Republic,” he said.
“All SCO countries also asked for using Iran’s experience in the fight against terrorism and its spread to the region and the world. Another request, which was made in almost all meetings, was to have a close look at Iran’s defense achievements.”
Qalandari drew a parallel between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a U.S.-led military alliance, and the SCO, a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defense organization.
Unlike NATO, the SCO has focused on expanding its influence based on cooperation rather than power and force, he said, adding that the Eurasian organization has tried to distance itself away from military issues and seek stability in conflict zones as well as joint economic cooperation.
“Perhaps the Ukraine crisis is a practical example showing that NATO’s capability is declining like the power of the United States. It is contrary to the advancing path pursued by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” he said.