NEW YORK, NY— Due to continuing UN sanctions, Iran lacks access to the international arms market. At times, the Islamic Republic makes arms deals on the black market but Iran now has a fully funded domestic defense industry.
The domestic defense industry is the main supplier of equipment to the Iranian armed forces.
Some of the domestically produced military hardware is smuggled to Hamas and Hezbollah, two of Iran’s proxy forces in the Middle East.
Iranian Navy admiral, Habibollah Sayyari, announced new plans for the Iranian Navy. “The area of operation of the Army’s Navy will be expanded in [the new year]”, said Sayyari.
“Deployment of fleet of warships to other countries will be continued as we are trying to confront and defuse the [West’s propaganda against Iran]”.
Last month, the Iranian Navy announced plans to dispatch its domestically made destroyer for missions beyond the Iranian territorial waters.
More port calls to Syria is also planned by the Iranian Navy, a move that Israel considers confrontational.
The Iranian naval command considers it of paramount importance to demonstrate the country’s might and power beyond the Iranian shores.
Echoing its naval strenght, the Iranian Air Force has showcased a domestically produced UAV capable of carrying a military payload in order to perform bombing missions against ground targets. The UAV is said to have radar evading capabilities and may also be used for long distance reconnaissance flights.
The former Iranian defense minister recently called on the Air force to increase its air supremacy in the region.
Iran is also determined to maintain a covert military presence in the region by training and arming proxy forces such as the Hamas and the Hezbollah. Both organizations are committed to the destruction of the State of Israel.
Israeli commandos recently seized crates of mortar shells, and C-704 anti-ship missiles used by the Iranian military. A ship in route to Egypt was searched by Israeli forces, which resulted in the seizure of weapons destined for Israeli’s enemies, Hamas and Hezbollah.
According to The Jerusalem Post, “[t]he C-704 is an anti-ship missile made in China and used by Iran, which calls it the Nasr. Like surface-to-air missiles, the C-704 is the type of weapon that Israel fears could shift the balance of power in the region and undermine its operational freedom.”