MNA � Iran�s defense minister says the country will continue to focus efforts on developing missile capabilities and will next week unveil a new fighter jet on the National Defense Industry Day on August 22.







"Developing missile capabilities, considered as our defensive�deterrent power, will remain Iran's top priority despite crippling economic sanctions imposed by the US�Brigadier General Amir Hatami said in an interview with Iran IRIB1 'Negah�Yek' on Saturday.

Our focus was on promoting and developing the capability and quality of our missiles., Hatami said, adding "given the enemy's efforts to boost anti-missile capabilities, we need to increase our missile's accuracy and functionality, and one of them has been recently unveiled."

"We will present a plane on National Defense Industry Day, and people will see it fly, and the equipment designed for it," Brigadier General Amir Hatami said.

"After the Revolution, we witnessed enemy efforts to provoke�a civil war in the country; at the same time we were involved in an imposed war with Iraq; after that, Saddam's invasion of Kuwait and the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq began, and then we experienced war with terrorist groups. These gave us so much experience," Hatami noted.

He pointed out that Iran has over 200 new technologies that help us make our defense industries indigenous and highly efficient; "we will continue our Iranian strategy of active deterrence. Islamic Republic has not attacked�any country ever; we seek peace, but if any country wants to threaten our security, it will receive a crushing response. We have budget constraints but enjoy a specific strategy; as the�Leader of ISlamic Revolution said, we never pursued nuclear weapons, however, we are strong in defensive capabilities."