Decoding drones not beyond Iran’s capabilities: defense minister

Mehr News – Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi has said that Iran has very high capabilities in the area of defense, particularly in decoding unmanned aircraft.

Vahidi made the remarks during a televised interview broadcast live on Jaam-e-Jam TV network on Sunday night.

“Islamic Iran has very high capabilities in all areas of defense, (including) employing drones and decoding them, electronic warfare and anti-electronic warfare as well as countering covert wars against the Islamic Republic of Iran and by itself has achieved such a level of success under the most difficult circumstances and (under) comprehensive sanctions. Therefore, it will easily enhance (its capabilities) and maintain them,” he said.

On the recent violation of the country’s airspace by a U.S. drone, Vahidi said, “The United States, in an act of blatant aggression, flouted all international regulations and flagrantly violated the rights of the two countries of Iran and Afghanistan, which was unfortunately met with the silence of the international community, particularly the United Nations.”

“International organizations are victims of the performance of some officials subservient to the U.S.,” Vahidi said, adding, “How come the UN issued a resolution over a false allegation (of a plan) to assassinate a country’s ambassador in the U.S. against the Islamic Republic of Iran but has maintained silence on the U.S. drone’s incursion into Islamic Iran and the violation of the (national) sovereignty of two countries. This is while U.S. officials themselves did not (believe) the untrue allegations but agreed on the authenticity of the… incursion of the U.S. drone into Iran.”

NATO radar system shows weakness of Europe, U.S.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Vahidi commented on Turkey’s decision to host an early warning radar as part of NATO’s missile defense system, which is ostensibly meant to counter an alleged ballistic missile threat from Iran.

According to the Journal of Turkish Weekly, an unidentified Turkish official said on December 23 that NATO’s Malatya-based ballistic missile early warning radar system will begin functioning next week.

The Turkish official also stated that the system has been designed to intercept missiles from “rogue states” and that the device was defensive and not directed at any particular country, especially Iran.

The Iranian defense minister said that the installation of the defense shield illustrates the “military and political weakness” of Europe and the United States.

“The defense shield plan is seemingly a demonstration of power, but in fact it indicates the weakness of the enemy. And on the other hand, if Europeans feel they need that defense shield against Iran, why do they themselves not take a measure in this regard and only the U.S. raises (the issue) and launch a media campaign about it?”

Israel in total isolation

He also commented on the situation of Israel and said, “The Zionist regime is in complete isolation and does not have the capability to take a military action against Islamic Iran under any circumstances unless it wants to carry out a suicide mission because it will receive fatal blows that would definitely lead to its instability.”

New defense projects to be inaugurated

Elsewhere in his remarks, Vahidi announced that more than 20 defense projects in the fields of nanotechnology, energy, aerospace, microelectronics, and optics will be inaugurated next week.