Publish Date: 13 November 2023 - 16:06

TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) – Iran exported around $1 billion worth of different military equipment during the past Iranian year, a deputy defense minister said.

Addressing a conference in Tehran on Monday morning, Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi said Iran’s export of military products rose to around $1 billion last Iranian year of 1401 (March 212022 to March-21 2023.)

Highlighting Iran’s success in developing the most advanced military equipment, the general said the technological breakthroughs in the missile industry have helped develop other sectors in Iran, such as the airplane and ship manufacturing sectors.

He also stated that the Defense Ministry is cooperating with around 7,000 enterprises across Iran, 40% of which are knowledge-based companies.

The Iranian Defense Ministry is now working on new earth-shattering technologies that will build the future, the deputy minister added, saying those advances will give Iran the upper hand in the war of technologies as well as the modern and hybrid wars.

In June, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said the export of products developed by his ministry tripled in the previous Iranian year, which ended on March 20.

The production of non-military commodities and services has doubled while the number of military products increased by 81 percent during the past year, the minister added.

Later in August, the spokesperson for the ministry said a number of Western and European states have asked to purchase Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles.

The spokesman noted that Iran is prepared to export military drones after fulfilling its domestic needs, provided that “political and security considerations” do not apply to the customer and Iran makes sure that its drones won’t be intended for inappropriate utility.

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