Undeterred by the sanctions, Iran continues to develop military capabilities

Tabnak – By increasing pressures on Iran with the means of sanctions, the US claims to be trying to change the Islamic Republic’s regional, as well as military plans. However, the Iranian military apparatus seems to be not only indifferent to the sanctions, but also determined to further enhance the country’s defense capabilities.

According to a Press TV report, Iran’s Navy commander says the country is set to unveil new defense achievements, including a destroyer and a submarine, next week. “Sahand Destroyer and Fateh Submarine are to be unveiled over the next week,” Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi told a news conference on Wednesday.

The destroyer, he said, could carry large helicopters as well as missile defense systems and fighter jets. The indigenously manufactured medium-class submarine “would serve as a surprise for the Islamic Republic’s enemies with its special capabilities,” he said.

The commander further played down the impact of US sanctions on Iran’s naval industry. The country has been successfully weathering sanctions for more 40 years now, Khanzadi said, noting that the measures had “taught us to stand on our own feet and not to depend on other powers for our security.”

The commander also hailed increasing coordination between the Navy and the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). The dual forces, he said, were considered to be Iran’s “strong fist” at sea.

Khanzadi also said, “There is no such thing as insecurity in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and the IRGC Navy has successfully helped secure the Persian Gulf, preventing the occurrence of any incidents in the waters." The waters under the Islamic Republic’s command are fully protected and secure without any outside help, noted the commander.

Iran would maintain its friendly ties with those countries which refrain from mischief and use their naval presence only towards ensuring security, said the official. “Should the presence of foreign forces endanger regional security, there will be no need for their presence,” he noted.

The commander then hailed Iran’s self-sufficiency in providing its required naval defense equipment, saying it could even provide such hardware to regional and extra-regional players.

Although after the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May, Washington has been moving toward increasing pressures on Iran, sanctions against Iran’s defense and military sector have been in place since the early days after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

However, the sanctions appear to be incapable of bringing Iran to the knees, as the Islamic Republic has since then been working on the development of indigenous military potential. This seems to remain the case, even now that US President Donald Trump has vowed to punish Iran with the toughest sanctions in the history.