Iran claims air dominance, highlights indigenous defence industry

A spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Defence said a significant portion of the country’s missile capabilities remains unused, while highlighting the domestic production of more than 1,000 types of weapons across the country.

Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik made the remarks on Saturday, April 25, praising what he described as the current high level of Iran’s defensive and retaliatory readiness, despite what he said was heavy engagement until April 7 in response to “all-out unlawful aggression” by the United States and Israel.

He noted that throughout the period of hostilities and as part of retaliatory operations, the country’s Armed Forces “maintained dominance over the skies of the occupied territories.”

The spokesman emphasised that the weapons currently being manufactured nationwide are produced through a thoroughly indigenous production line.

“This capacity is the result of more than 25 years of investment and preparation in the defence industry, to the extent that even if some facilities are damaged, the process of production and support continues across the country’s geographical expanse,” he said.

“In this process, around 9,000 companies are cooperating with the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.”

Talaei-Nik also addressed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the Islamic Republic has closed it to all traffic in retaliation for what he described as the continuation of an illegal American blockade.

“The Strait of Hormuz has become a lever of control for realising the demands of the Iranian nation,” he said.

According to the spokesman, by enforcing the closure, Iranian Armed Forces have on multiple occasions forced opposing forces to retreat in the Gulf of Oman by exercising what he described as “smart and thorough control” over the strategic chokepoint.

He also praised large-scale rallies held across the country in support of Iran’s Islamic establishment, calling them a “social miracle.”

Talaei-Nik said more than 30 million people have registered in a nationwide campaign expressing readiness to defend the country in the face of its adversaries.

He described this as an unprecedented example of mass mobilisation globally, adding that it has thwarted what he characterised as enemies’ efforts to divide the nation.

By Tamilla Hasanova