Publish Date: 16 January 2017 - 19:45

TEHRAN, Jan. 16 (MNA) – Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has said some specific individuals have inaccurately criticized strengthening of country’s defense.

Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri told the media on Monday that Iran’s defensive programs would continue unhindered according to the defense doctrine guiding the general defense policies and would rely on indigenous capabilities; “today, defense sector enjoys better conditions than any other time; being located in a hostile region with ever-increasing threats makes it inevitable to strengthen the defense almost in a regular basis, on which the nation as well as high-ranking officials would agree unanimously,” he added.

Jazayeri criticized calls by specific circles within the country to slow the pace of strengthening of the defense as misguided, and that they did not belong to the mainstream of the nation; “we believe there was no link between JCPOA and defensive issues and no defense topic was discussed during nuclear negotiations; this was a fact well-understood by parties to the negotiations as well as our negotiators,” he concluded.

SH/3878860