The year 1398 fell between March 2019-March 2020, and the year 1399 between March 2020-March 2021.

Hatami said this took place despite all hostilities against Iran.

The former defense chief went on to say that now Iran exports arms to 42 countries, adding Iran’s drones have customers among “other countries”.

Hatami was defense minister during the second term of the Hassan Rouhani presidency.

He went on to say that during four years of his management of the ministry more than 300 products used in ground battles were produced.

Hatami made the remarks at a ceremony welcoming new Defense Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani.

The former defense minister went on to say that “very good measures” have also been taken in the field of ballistic and cruise missiles.

“Today, we are also in a very good condition in the areas of air and electronic defense and electronic warfare.”

On October 19, 2020, a 13-year-old UN arms embargo on Iran was lifted as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. It happened against vociferous opposition from the Trump administration. Since that date, Iran was legally allowed to export and import arms.

Then Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hailed October 19 as a “momentous day”.

Iran has been insisting that arms industry is based on defensive needs.

“A momentous day for the international community, which — in defiance of malign U.S. efforts—has protected UNSC Res. 2231 and JCPOA,” Zarif tweeted on Sunday, referring to the 2015 agreement.

According to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which confirmed the JCPOA – the official name for the nuclear deal, arms embargo against Iran ended last year.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on October 19 that “as of today, the Islamic Republic of Iran may procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions and solely based on its defensive needs.”

The Foreign Ministry added Iran can now “export defensive armaments based on its own policies.”

The U.S. was overwhelmingly defeated by other UN Security Council members when it attempted to extend the arms embargo in August. It subsequently declared a “snapback” of nearly all UN sanctions on Iran against the opposition of the 2015 deal’s European, Russian and Chinese signatories, who called the move void.

For the vast majority of the Security Council, lifting the embargo is crucial to the Iranian nuclear deal’s survival, says RUSI’s Tabrizi.

“It was part of the (2015 Iran nuclear) agreement since the beginning, and not meeting their obligations would mean that the agreement collapses,” Tabrizi told CNBC. “So there is a risk that Iran comes out of the agreement completely.”

The embargo’s expiration allowed Iran to buy major conventional weapons systems, including everything from battle tanks and large-caliber artillery to combat aircraft and warships, and perhaps most importantly, missiles and missile launchers — the latter group already highly developed indigenously in Iran.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C., has acknowledged that Iran has succeeded to indigenize military industry.

“With a likely emphasis on homeland defense and long-range strike capability,” Iran will likely pursue more selective modernization, Taleblu said.

According to CNBC, Iran’s specialty is asymmetric warfare, honed under years of sanctions with the help of reverse engineering to replicate other countries’ missiles and smaller arms — and in some cases, make them better.

Kirsten Fontenrose, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, predicts this capability will only get stronger.

“What we’re worried about is not so much the drones themselves, but the pieces on them, so things like higher-quality engines for the units and optical lenses to improve targeting,” she said during a webinar hosted by Washington-based think tank AGSIW.

“What Iran has shown is that even if they buy a small number of weapons, within 20 years they will produce a variant of that which in some instances is even better than what they bought,” Dave DesRoches, an associate professor and senior military fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., said during the same webinar.

“So as they make incremental improvements, as they reverse engineer new technologies, integrate new imported motors, they’re getting much more quickly operational, lethal and reproducible capability.”

Initial purchases for Iran might be solid-fuel rocket motors, guidance systems, optical jammers that could counter drones or anti-tank missiles, and small arms like upgraded anti-tank guided missiles, DesRoches said, with China and former Soviet states as key sellers.

The post Iran’s drones have customers in the world appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The minister congratulated Mohseni Ejei in his new post and wished success for him in fulfilling his important responsibility.

Brigadier General Hatami briefed the top judge on actions and achievements of the Defense Ministry in various areas, including the level of defense preparedness in the face of threats against the country.

For his part, the Judiciary chief thanked Hatami and his deputies for their kindness and expressed satisfaction with the actions, progress and capabilities of the defense sector and stressed the need to strengthen the defense readiness of the Armed Forces.

Mohseni Ejei stated that the Judiciary is strongly reforming itself, noting that one of the most important pillars in the path to reformation is tapping the capacities of all sectors in line with serving the people.

Mohseni Ejei was appointed as the head of the Judiciary on July 1 by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He replaced Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi who was elected president on June 18.

So far President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Expediency Council chairman Sadeq Amoli Larijani have met with the top judge.

In his meeting with Mohseni Ejei, Qalibaf said the parliament is ready to help the Judiciary to fulfill its duties.

Qalibaf said he is sure that the Judiciary will keep conducting reforms with more speed in view of his knowledge about the character, aptitude and experience of Mohseni Ejei, who has a long record in the judicial body.

The post Defense minister meets new Judiciary chief appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Hatami said that the Ministry of Defense is pursuing the ideas of General Soleimani in the fight against Takfiri terrorist groups.

Referring to the attempts made by the enemies to undermine Iran’s regional influence, the minister said Iran’s active role in the region contradicts the interests of some other regional players who see their interests in obeying the extra-regional powers.

Hatami noted that Iran’s great revenge of General Soleimani’s blood is pushing the US forces out of the region.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that Iran would cut the US legs off the region in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.

“You cut the hand of our General and your legs will be cut off from the region,” the president said speaking during a cabinet session.

The Iranian people reserve the right to take revenge for the blood of their General, Rouhani said.

“As long as you are present in this region, it means we have not taken the final revenge.”

Iranian Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes were assassinated in a drone attack on their motorcade at Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.

The post Hatami, Iran will take revenge appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Iranian Defense Minister hoped that the parliament would develop a more special view about the country’s defense budget since enemies are spending billions of dollars to create instability in the region.

The post Hatami calls for ‘more special’ view on defense budget in Parliament appeared first on Iran News Daily.

 Iranian Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Amir Hatami stressed that the situation in Syria is much more better than what it used to be over the previous years and that the victory over terrorism in it has further deepened peace and stability in all regional states.

The post Hatami: Victory over terrorism in Syria deepens regional peace, security appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post Tractor Sazi’s Farzad Hatami to Miss Al Gharafa Match: ACL appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post Iran, Pakistan to expand defense coop. appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post DoM calls for more security coop. with world in 2018 appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post MoD to file compliant, ask for missile part for inspection appeared first on Iran News Daily.