First North Korea, now Iran? Islamic Republic DEFY Trump with massive military expansion
THE Iranian Defence Secretary has unveiled plans to bolster the Islamic Republic's arsenal of weapons, as the country wades into the growing international tensions.
Iran: We don't need "foreign permission" to develop weapons
Just as North Korea launched a failed missile test in defiance of the US, the Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani shut down warnings from the Trump administration.
President Rouhani, who declared that he will be running for re-election, said the regime doesn't need "foreign permission" to develop weapons.
Iran's Armed Forces will look to expand their arsenal of missiles and fighters, as President Rouhani unveiled his country's latest military machinery.
Iran’s Defence Minister General Hossein Dehqan echoed these plans, claiming the latest weapons were "a prelude to the production of heavy aircraft".
The Iranian chief executive stressed the importance of remaining vigilant and boosting resistance
Among the latest weaponry on show, the Defence Minister boasted of Iran's new tactical drone, an anti-ship cruise missile and an air-to-air missile.
The country's military recently announced the nation has achieved unprecedented self-sufficiency in producing weaponry.
After years of global isolation, General Dehqan said the Islamic Republic had developed the "might and know-how" to develop advanced fighters, tanks, radars and air defence systems.
The Iranian leader, praised as a moderate by European governments, emphasized that the military arsenal was solely for "defensive" purposes.
But this runs counter to the belief among British and US intelligence that Iran is heavily involved in the Syrian Civil War.
President Rouhani has had defended himself from criticism of being too weak
This is a prelude to the production of heavy aircraft
President Rouhani told the crowd: "We have repeatedly declared that strengthening the defensive prowess of Iran’s Armed Forces is only aimed at defending the country and will never be used against another country.
“Striking a regional balance and maintaining the defensive and deterrent power of a pivotal country like Iran, which has endangered big powers’ interests through its great Islamic Revolution and is conveying the message of justice and freedom to the world, are necessary."
But, the Iranian president noted "intervention and the cancerous tumor of Israel" as a source of concern and insecurity in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump tweeted that Iran was "playing with fire"
Iran's Armed Forces will look to expand their arsenal of missiles and fighters
The Iranian chief stressed the importance of remaining vigilant and boosting armed resistance.
With an election in May, President Rouhani has sought to defend himself from criticism that he appeased the West with the nuclear deal.
President Rouhani added: “In our region, we have witnessed different crimes and acts of aggression by regional countries and sometimes by big powers and the US.
"Even if our region were completely secure and major powers were not present there, a country still needs deterrent power and the region requires balance."
President Donald Trump tweeted that Iran was "playing with fire" after a controversial ballistic missile test in January.