Tehran: Iran will unveil this week a new jet fighter and upgrade its missile defences to meet threats from Israel and the US, Tasnim news agency said on Sunday quoting the defence minister.
“Our first priority is our missile capability and we must enhance it ... given the enemy’s efforts in missile defence,” said Amir Hatami in an interview on television late Saturday, according to Tasnim.
He added that a new fighter jet “will fly on National Defence Industry Day”, which falls on Wednesday.
Hatami said the defence programme was motivated by memories of the missile attacks Iran suffered during its eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s, and by repeated threats from Israel and the United States that “all options are on the table” in dealing with the Islamic republic.
“We have learnt in the (Iran-Iraq) war that we cannot rely on anyone but ourselves. We saw that wherever we are not capable, no one will have mercy on us,” he said.
“Our resources are limited and we are committed to establishing security at a minimum cost. We upgrade our missiles according to our enemies’ threats and actions, as a deterrent and to give a crushing response to the enemy,” he added.
The defence minister dismissed the idea of an “Arab Nato” — an old concept that has recently resurfaced as Washington tries to push regional countries to accept a greater share of their defence.
Iran’s navy also announced on Saturday that it has mounted a locally built advanced defensive weapons system on one of its warships for the first time, as tensions mount with the US military in the Gulf.
