Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mehdi Farahi made the remarks on Monday while addressing the first international confab to commemorate the 12th martyrdom anniversary of Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam, a general known for his relentless efforts to develop Iran’s missile program.

He said the Iranian experts at the Defense Ministry do not seek to merely manufacture military parts but are now taking steps toward the production of state-of-the-art military equipment.

He expressed hope that such outstanding military achievements would further increase Iran’s deterrent power.

As announced by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran had sought to import barbed wire from abroad as the country was not able to produce it due to the extensive scale of the sanctions while the Soviet Union has also prevented the cargo to be delivered by way of their land, Farahi said.

“However, Iran exported military equipment worth some one billion dollars last year,” the official emphasized.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Farahi hailed Tehrani Moqaddam’s great and unique efforts to develop Iran’s missile program, saying the martyred scientist conducted several projects at the state-owned Defense Industries Organization despite a lack of the required know-how over a period of 17 years.

Finally, Iran succeeded in developing its missile industry and manufacturing precision missiles, he said.

Tehrani Moqaddam, a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was a key figure in the country’s ballistic missile program. He helped develop the medium and long-range ballistic missiles. An engineer by profession, he designed the Shahab, Ghadr and Sejjil missiles with a range of over 1,000 kilometers.

Tehrani Moqaddam began establishing Iran’s missile program at a time when the country was under attack during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war on Iran.

He continued his efforts to boost the program in subsequent years amid the difficulties and shortages.

Tehrani Moqaddam died in an explosion in November 2011 west of Tehran. The blast came during a missile test at a base in Bid Ganeh. At least 16 others were killed in the blast.

SD/PressTV