Sanctions help form defense industry research in Iran: AEOI chief

Tehran, IRNA - Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami has emphasized that sanctions played a role in promoting the Islamic Republic to form defense industry research. The vice president said in a meeting prior to a national conference on the place of science and technology in the Sacred Defense (eight-year Iraq-Iran war) in Tehran on Monday, noting that sanctions prompted technical and industrial groups active in the defense sector to turn requirements into their agenda and the situation caused the formation of defense industry research. Following the onset of the war in 1980, some countries imposed sanctions on Iran; so, the Islamic country needed to pursue self-sufficiency, he argued. Studies and researches ended up paving the way for producing defense products, for instance the know-how of manufacturing rockets were developed and then, maritime missiles were produced, the AEOI chief said. Those people who succeeded in developing short-range drones during the sacred defense continued the process and could improve the know-how to a powerful point, he added. Eslami went on to say that in terms of telecommunications, the Iranians could develop the sector in order to decode enemies messages, and that they joined the telecommunications organization after the conflict and improved defense-oriented industry. On maritime industry and speedboats, the official mentioned that the sacred defense played a key role in today's advancements in this sector and that Iran can manufacture submarines and destroyers. Referring to the aerial industry, he said that Iran's success in updating and upgrading airplanes has its roots in efforts made by Iranians amidst the sacred defense. The Defensive Science Research Center is scheduled to hold the national conference on the place of science and technology in the sacred defense on December 6, 2022. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglsih