Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani made the remark in an interview with IRIB news agency on Friday, on the sidelines of an exhibition to showcase the ministry’s capabilities and achievements.
The defense minister said, “Supporting the armed forces with equipment and weapons is one of the inherent duties of the ministry of defense, but shoring up the country’s industrial growth is also defined as one of our duties.”
He added, “The ministry of defense operates in various fields, including aviation, maritime, land, railways, electronic and engineering, oil and petrochemicals.”
“Due to the growth in the ministry’s capabilities during the past years, if the knowledge and technologies are transferred to other organizations, the country will witness progress,” the defense minister concluded.