Western countries requested to buy Iranian drones: MoD Spox

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Aug 2023 13:29

The spokesperson for the Iranian Defense Ministry says Iran is ready to export drones after its domestic needs are met.

Spokesperson for the Iranian Defense Ministry Brig. Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik (Iranian media)

A number of Western countries have approached the Iranian military department with a desire to acquire Iranian combat drones, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Saturday, citing the spokesperson for the Iranian Defense Ministry Brig. Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik.

"Our drones have many customers and many countries request to buy drones from us," Talaei-Nik pointed out.

The Brigadier General indicated that Iran is ready to export drones after its domestic needs are met, the news agency reported, explaining that Tehran will send drones if "political and security considerations" do not apply to a potential customer and there is confidence that the drones will not be intended for inappropriate use.

"Now there are many customers for our drones, and we have received several requests from Western and European countries, although they do not want to be named," he highlighted.

This comes just a few days after Iran unveiled its Mohajer-10 drone as part of the Defense Industry Day celebration. The domestically-produced drone was showcased in Tehran during an event attended by President Ebrahim Raisi.

The #Iranian military unveils new weapons in a clear message that proves that the Iranian military is on par with the pioneers in weapons manufacturing. pic.twitter.com/QiS9mbxfet
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The Mohajer-10 drone boasts a maximum flight duration of 24 hours at an altitude of 7,000 meters. It can carry up to 450 liters of fuel and accommodate cargo weighing up to 300 kilograms.

Furnished with electronic warfare and intelligence systems, this unmanned aerial vehicle can achieve a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour and is capable of transporting various types of ammunition and bombs.

It is noteworthy that after its unveiling, Israeli media expressed fear within the Israeli occupation entity as the new Iranian drone could cover "all of Israel", having a range of 2,000 kilometers.

Last week, Talaei-Nik affirmed in an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen that Tehran has become among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of defense industry technology.

The Iranian spokesperson highlighted that Iran was able in 45 years to "transform from an importer of weapons to a country that manufactures about 90% of its military needs."

A couple of weeks ago, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, revealed that "major powers are now requesting to purchase our [Iran's] advanced military equipment after we used to request to only talk to them through numerous mediators not too long ago."