Iran defense minister says new technologies are being applied to defense targets

Iran's Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi-Ketabchi said he devoted the first hour of his work to meeting the requirements of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force and the Army's air defense, according to Mehr News. The minister made the remarks in a post on social media.

In the post, Akhlaghi-Ketabchi said that for Iran, responding to repeated threats is not a contest of rhetoric but the conversion of threats into greater readiness and more effective defensive power. He said Iran is focused on its targets with new technologies.

The defense minister also used a Persian expression in the post, saying, "We eat soil, but we do not give up soil," a statement he framed as reflecting Iran's position on defending its territory. The remark was carried in the social media post without further elaboration on specific programs or timelines.

The statement did not specify which threats he was referring to, nor did it name particular technologies or defense systems. It also did not provide details on budget allocations or procurement plans for the IRGC Aerospace Force or the Army's air defense.

Akhlaghi-Ketabchi's comments place priority on the requirements of the IRGC Aerospace Force and the Army's air defense, two branches that handle Iran's air and missile defense portfolios. The post framed the response to threats as a matter of readiness and defensive capability rather than public messaging.

According to Mehr News, the defense minister said responding to repeated threats is not a contest of rhetoric for Iran but the conversion of threats into greater readiness and more effective defensive power, and that the country is focused on its targets with new technologies.