The head of the Iranian Defense Ministry's International Affairs section, Second Brigadier General Hamzeh Qalandari, has praised the country's excellent weapon manufacturing expertise, saying Iranian weapons are now seen as a "game changer" in the international arena.

Last month, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) successfully test-fired an anti-tank guided missile, Sadid-365. The missile has a whopping range of 8 km and is capable of destroying all kinds of armored equipment, according to General Ali Kouhestani, the chair of the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the IRGC Ground Force.

According to Qalandari, the world was taken aback by Iranian armaments following the relaxation of the 13-year UN arms embargo in October 2020.

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He told IRNA, “A country that had problems in all areas and was prohibited from any technology, has today reached a place on the edge of technology, with its weapons described in international media as a ‘game changer," adding that this led many nations to buy Iranian weapons or renovate and rebuild their own defense equipment using Iranian technology.

Iranian leaders have stated unequivocally that the nation will never yield to pressure to pare up its military projects, particularly its missile capability, which is only for defense purposes.

SCO countries looking to utilize Iran's expertise

The defense official further stated that the international community now recognizes that Iran is involved in serious combat against terrorism and that General Qassem Soleimnai, who was slain by the US, was the greatest leader in the fight against the dangerous plague.

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“Regarding the issues raised as the SCO’s main goals, i.e. the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism, perhaps no one has had the experience of a true struggle as much as the Islamic Republic of Iran does,” he asserted.

In other parts of his interview, Qalandari mentioned talks between Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and his counterparts on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers' meeting in the Indian capital of New Delhi late last month.

“Most of the meetings featured a serious willingness to form an alliance and improve the level of defense and security cooperation with the Islamic Republic,” he said.

“All SCO countries also asked for using Iran’s experience in the fight against terrorism and its spread to the region and the world. Another request, which was made in almost all meetings, was to have a close look at Iran’s defense achievements.”

Unlike NATO, he said, the SCO has focused on expanding its influence based on cooperation rather than power and force. He added that the organization has distanced itself from military issues and aided in conflict zones and joint economic cooperation.

“Perhaps the Ukraine crisis is a practical example showing that NATO’s capability is declining like the power of the United States. It is contrary to the advancing path pursued by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” he said.