Iran's military industry manufactures and exports various types of arms and military equipment.[1] Iran's military industry, under the command ofIran's Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, is composed of the following main components:[2]
| Organization | Field of activity |
|---|---|
| Iran Electronics Industries | Electronics, communications, e-warfare, radars, satellites, etc. |
| Defense Industries Organization | Tanks, rockets, bombs, guns, armored vehicles, etc. |
| Aerospace Industries Organization | Guided missiles systems, etc. |
| Aviation Industries Organization | Aircraft, UAV, helicopters, etc. |
| Marine Industries Organization | Ships, hovercraft, submarines, etc. |
Security of Telecommunication and Information Technology (STI) is also part of the Iranian defense industry.[2]
Iran's military industry was born under the lastShah of Iran,Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In 1973, theIran Electronics Industries (IEI) was founded to organize efforts to assemble and repair foreign-delivered weapons.[3][4] Most of Iran's weapons before theIslamic revolution were imported from the United States and Europe. Between 1971 and 1975, theShah went on a buying spree, ordering $8 billion in weapons from theUnited States alone. This alarmed theUnited States Congress, which strengthened a 1968 law on arms exports in 1976 and renamed it the Arms Export Control Act. Still, the United States continued to sell large amounts of weapons to Iran until the 1979Islamic Revolution.[5]
In 1977, the IranianDefense Industries Organization began to work on missiles jointly withIsrael inProject Flower and requested a joint missile development program with theUnited States which was rejected.[6]In 1979, the country took the first step into manufacturing by reverse engineeringSovietRPG-7,BM21, andSA-7 missiles.
After theIslamic revolution and the start of theIran–Iraq War, economic sanctions and an international arms embargo led by theUnited States coupled with a high demand for military hardware forced Iran to rely on its domestic arms industry for repair and spare parts.[7] TheIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was put in charge of re-organising the domestic military industry. Under their command Iran's military industry was dramatically expanded, and with theMinistry of Defence pouring capital into the missile industry, Iran soon had an arsenal of missiles.[8]
Since 1993, it also has produced its own tanks, armoured personnel carriers, missiles, a submarine and a fighter plane.[9]
In 2007, following events inIran's Nuclear Program, theUnited Nations Security Council placedsanctions on Iran forbidding it from exporting any form of weapons.[10] Despite these sanctions, Iran sold some military equipment to countries such asSudan,Syria andNorth Korea. Iran was also unable to import military equipment such asS-300 from Russia and went on to build its own substitute dubbed asBavar 373.[citation needed]
On 2 November 2012, Iran's Brigadier General Hassan Seifi reported that the Iranian Army had achieved self-suffiency in producing military equipment, and that the abilities of Iranian scientists have enabled the country to make significant progress in this field. He was quoted saying, "Unlike Western countries which hide their new weapons and munitions from all, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army is not afraid of displaying its latest military achievements and all countries must become aware of Iran's progress in producing weaponry."[11] As of 2016, the Defence Ministry is collaborating with more than 3150 national firms as well as 92 universities.[12]
Iran’s Defense Ministry claimed that it has begun manufacturing air defense laser cannons on 16 November 2019.[13] On September 03, 2020, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier GeneralAmir Hatami said his country is capable of manufacturing more than 38,000 military equipment and hardware parts.[14] In February 2023, Iran reported that had tripled its military products exports in 2022 while its self-sufficiency in military needs had reached 93%.[15] Iranian Defense MinisterMohammad Reza Ashtiani claimed in March 2024 an increase of 4 to 5 times in defense exports without specifying details.[16]
 Military ofIran | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armed Forces |
|  | ||||||
| Other | ||||||||
