Tehran, IRNA - Iran has significantly increased its arms exports over the past years as the country has gained self-sufficiency in the defense industry, Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said.

Exports of military equipment have seen an increase of between 4 to 5 times over the past two years, Gen. Ashtiani told reporters on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting in Tehran. 

“Due to the innovations and the kind of weapons that are being manufactured, this amount will further increase in the future,” he added.

The defense minister said that Iran is now self-sufficient in making drone engines and is working on the production of heavy engines.

Touching on Iran’s military and defense ties with other countries, Ashtiani said there have been a series of discussions and meetings with authorities from regional countries, including Armenia and Qatar.

He said the discussions have focused on “what can be done to form the basis of expanding cooperation” in the defense sector, adding that a similar approach is being pursued with Turkey and Russia.

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