Minister: Iran boosting defense power to prevent war
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami highlighted the country’s military preparedness to counter foreign threats, saying the Islamic Republic is boosting its defense power to prevent war.
Addressing ‘The International Roundtable on Humanitarian Mine Action: Challenges and Best Practices’ in Tehran on Tuesday, Brigadier General Hatami pointed to the Iraqi-imposed war on Iran in the 1980s and said during the eight years of war, more than 4.2 million hectares of Iranian land were “infested with mines,” Tasnim News Agency reported.
The mines had been handed over to Iraq’s then dictator Saddam Hussein by those who call themselves advocates of human rights, the minister added.
The Iranian official said that the country has lost 93 of its military forces involved in mine clearance during the last 12 years.
“Totally 125 have been wounded as well,” IRNA quoted as the defense minister as saying during the international meeting in Tehran.
“What they are telling us today is that you should not have missiles and defense power while they allow other countries to make our region filled with weapons and bombs,” Hatami said, adding that this strategy would lead to a region full of mines and deaths.
“We will not allow this to happen, and we will certainly increase our defense power so that war does not take place,” he said.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.
Demining experience
An Iranian deputy foreign minister highlighted the country’s advances in demining activities and programs, saying Iran is ready to share its experience with other nations.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs Gholamhossein Dehqani said Iran is one of the main victims of landmines and has made great efforts to carry out demining plans.
“Iran has acquired local and up-todate know-how in demining, and is prepared to share its experience with other countries,” he said.
The deputy minister also criticized international organizations for insufficient cooperation with Iran in implementing demining programs.
The international conference in Tehran was attended by Iranian defense minister and top military officials from Asian states, Commonwealth countries and international organizations.
The conference was aimed at sharing knowledge of demining with minepolluted countries, reflecting Iran’s humanitarian demining measures, opening an international center in Iran for teaching issues related to demining, and setting up a regional center for mine-clearance activities in which Iran is expected to play a pivotal role.
The International Committee of the Red Cross in Iran and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) collaborated in holding the conference.
Iran has been ranked in some reports as the world’s second most mine-polluted country.
Landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination in west and southwest of Iran results from the Iraqi imposedwar in the 1980s. Iraq’s Army, under Saddam Hussein, is believed to have planted some 16 million landmines in Iran during the war, polluting an area of over 42,000 square kilometers.
Iran, however, has made great headways in clearing the minefields by developing special equipment and training experts.