Iran’s Deputy Commander of the Iranian Armed Forces Brig.
Gen. Mohammad Hossein Dadras said Iranian defense budget is not sufficient
given the current foreign threats to the country.
“Among 16 countries in our region, Iran ranks 15 in terms of its defense budget,” Gen. Dadras said. He added, however, that the country's military capabilities are still acceptable. (Mehr News Agency, 5 July)
Fars News Agency reported on 12 May that the Majlis, Iranian parliament, had approved $5 billion for national defense annual budget.
File photo: The production facility of Iranian UCAV, Karrar
(IRNA)
Given the threat level, just about any other country on earth would spend a greater percentage on defense funding. But the Iranians prioritize public housing construction, infrastructure construction, civil manufacturing subsidies, public welfare subsidies, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere are, of course, pros and cons to each of these priorities and its not for non-residents like ourselves to judge.
Meanwhile, what makes the quoted Iranian general statement of "acceptable" capabilities valid is the fact that Iran's strategic posture maintains its intended deterrence against attack, so far...
given the obvious fact that Iran has spent decades making the threats and giving high priority to sowing conflict, you are, as usual, sorta funny in seconding the general's horsespit claim.
DeleteIran's military and para-military and the rest don't derive their real funding from the budget....... they've always been funded off the official books.
Mark are you going to move to iran and defend it? No? You're going to stay in comfortable u.s.? I see
DeleteGents, on what planet are you living? Iran has not started a war in past several hundreds of years. The mentally deranged Saddam attacked Iran and was supported by many in both East and West. Israel threatens Iran every other day of the week and one famou Senator from Arizona sings "Bomb, Bomb Iran" and ....
DeleteAnon 6:04PM
DeleteIraq embarked on an pre-emptive invasion of Iran, but it was Iran that refused to settle down for negotiations after having regained lost territory. Iran continously attacked Iraq for six straight years beginning in June 1982 in accordance with Khomayni's greedy plans for the region, only to be defeated badly in 1988. You probably don't know history too well...Saddam actually sent his regards and good wishes to the newly established revolutionary regime in Teheran with the intention of creating bilateral ties. At the time there was no indication that Iraq even contemplated hostilites against Iran. What did he get in return? That's right, a slap in the face. Khomayni initiated support for the Ad-Dawa party in southern Iraq (Basra) ordering members to carry out assasinations of Iraqi government figures and terror bombings of Baath party members, sometimes in urban areas which resulted in civilian losses and if that was not enough to alarm the Iraqi dictator, the Iranian gendarmerie and Artesh kept up its cross-border shelling which had started way back in the 70's when Shah Pahlavi had backed Kurdish guerillas in Iraq. These series of events worried Saddam to the point that he actually feared that if the Iranian revolution was given the chance to take hold and organize itself sufficiently, then in a few years time Khomayni might actually get strong enough to invade Iraq. So if you like the Khomayni legacy and the current leadership in Iran then don't don't point fingers of blame past your own nose for why the war happened.
Basrawi
DeleteI suppose you think saddam was left with little choice but to attack kuwait as well.The blame for both these wars and the catastrophe that resulted for the nation and people of iraq lies firmly on the shoulders of saddam,in both cases he and he alone made the decision to wage war and in both cases he miscalculated horribly
Barsawi,
DeleteYou are factually wrong. Iraq was supporting Kurds, Arabs, and other minority groups against the Shah and Iran way before the Islamic revolution. The madman Saddam has been documented saying many times that Khuzestan province belongs to Iraq. No Iranian rulers claimed territory inside Iraq. Iraqi military dictators have been involved in offensive actions and threats against Iran for a long time.
In addition your long rant and hateful remarks is void of logic, reason and any clarity of message.
Anon 2:48
DeleteJust like the other ignorant commentator, you too seem to be short on historical knowledge and facts. The points that you raise concerns the period of the Shah. When the revolution happened in 1979, with the ousting of the Shah, the Iraqi government showed interest in a reset of diplomatic ties with Iran and sincerely wanted to maintain good and friendly relation with Iran. The crazy lunatic Khomayni foolishly rejected Saddam's outreach and offically announced to the whole world that he intented to spread his hardcore Sharia ideology across the entire region by giving full support to insurgents in southern Iraq and in other Arab countries. Right after taking power in Iran he openly called for the overthrow of the secular Baathist government in Baghdad and said it should be replaced with a clerical rule akin to his own in Teheran. The madman Khomayni seem to have had problems with everybody and willingly created enmity between his kind of people that ruled in Iran and lots of other countries around the globe which is the reason why Iran is in such an isolated Pariah state today.
As for Anon 1:23, are you forgetting that Kuwait, originally an Iraqi province, was stolen by the British colonialists? And not to forget, Kuwait was causing much hardship for Iraq. One such thing was the illegal act of slant drilling into the oilfields that lay on the Iraqi side. If this isn't stealing then what is it?
Basrawi
DeleteSo according to your reading of history poor old saddam didnt want war,it was iran and kuwait that left him no choice.Are you some sort of baathist apologist by any chance?,you certainly sound like one.The simple truth is this: saddam for what ever reason CHOSE to attack iran and kuwait,the excuses he used do not matter the blame for these wars lay with him and him alone
Ignorant anon 12:54
DeleteNo, i am not making any excuses for the dictator Saddam, but i can clearly see why he choose to take that step under those exceptional circumstances, and you should too instead of staying in denial. You ought to keep an objective view of historical matters such as this one and look at the root causes with a different lens, that is, explore deeper. I always prefer the whole picture instead of one sided emotionality such as the comment made by the Anon that i initially responded to... you know, white-washing the Iranian top echelon from all blame and neglecting the fact that Khomayni and his groupies were frantically calling for hostility and enmity towards other countries in the region, a kind of policy which manifested itself through both overt and covert means in an attempt to attain a selfish goal with complete disregard to the sovereignty of the domestic affairs of those countries. By the way, you on the other hand seem to be a hardcore apologist for the loony toon Khomayni, who was the infact the worst warmongerer of that day and age...now that i come to think of it...he was actually the only warmongerer around in 1979 since he spoke of conflict with Iraq long before Saddam did. Do you understand? I hope you are more enlightened.
A major power like Iran with a massive landmass of 1.64 million sq kms and a population of over 80 million does indeed need a defence budget of around $ 50 billion annually. Iran is surrounded by unstable failed states and puppet Arab petro-pimpdoms which spend over $100 billion in worthless US/European forced sale weaponry which is being stored for future NATO use. Iran since 1979 revolution has been a victim of terrorism, imposed war, economic sanctions and destabilization and relentless US/Zionist campaign of propaganda, sabotage and subterfuge.
ReplyDeleteIran is in a high risk, high threat geo-strategic environment and needs to secure its population, cities, vast natural resources wealth and frontiers from hostile predatory hyenas like US/Zionists. The eastern flank with failed Af-Pak needs to be sealed and further garrisoning is required. Iran also needs to update its airforce with 500 plus 4th and 5th generation fighters, create an armored mobile brigade level groups with at least 5,000 MBT and 10,000 APC. Iran also needs additional naval assets including frigates, subs, LST and helicopter carriers. A new generation of attack helicopters is also needed and most of all a strong three tiered nuclear deterrent force. Iran should be an impregnable fortress and the next war, if need be, has to be fought on the enemies soil with a forward oriented defence policy and strong asymmetrical warfare capability.
What world do you live in? They won't even let your beloved iran have peaceful nuclear energy Let alone 500+ 4th and fifth generation fighter jets.
DeleteAnon 3:31...Let the boy dream.It's part of growing up.
DeleteIf iran did this it would be falling into the same trap as the arabs ie squandering huge sums on weapons it doesnt need and cant use,iran has spent its money far more wisely giving it a potent CREDIBLE military force based on deterrence,iran can not only credibly shut down the straits of hormuz it can also destroy virtually any target within 2000km of irans borders,can any of the arab states make the same claims?,I dont think so
DeleteAnon 10:07
DeleteI guess you don't know about Saudi Arabia's ballistic missile force.
http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/saudi-arabia/delivery-systems/
http://www.saudidefence.com/saudi-arabia-may-acquire-nuclear-capable-dong-feng-ballistic-missiles-from-china-104/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_program_of_Saudi_Arabia
Actually I do,the saudis have one hundred odd obsolete chinese missiles that were supplied at huge cost back in the late 80s,they are not mobile and have an accuracy measured in many hundreds of meters at best,theres is little comparison between it and irans far larger mobile force,the saudis cannot build ballistic missiles as iran can,nor do the have the industrial capability to build a nuclear program comparable to irans.There is almost no comparison between the military industrial complexes of the two countries
DeleteCut Cut Cut, that is the solution for our armed forces. We have to much of them. Cut them in size, budget and everything; make them smaller and smarter. Send Basijis-mob to working camps. And our Armed forces should learn from Egypt where the armed forces are a national force and that is why they are trusted by the people - even though the armed forces in egypt are also involved in business-activities. in Iran they are manipulated by Islam and this sort of ideological none-sense and that is why they are not trusted in Iran.
ReplyDeleteIran has chances to restore its air force capabilities, after Russia abandons her embargos.
ReplyDeleteIt will happen in not so long future, due to the increased Russia's problems with the West and Obama's inability to cope with too many problems in a good faith.
Iran will have to be compensated for the S-300 cancelation, and future sale of arms will have to be connected with a transfer of technologies and licences to the levels exceeding those in trades with India.
That posibilities will create a modern aerospace industry, to manufacture advanced aircrafts and their engines. At the begining it will be the Russian licences and thereafter domestically modernized designs of the Russian wariants.
Russia and Iran may even cooperate in design of new future projects..
India, despite her western and zionists leanings, hasn't got access to the most advanced designs in the West, but Russia is willing to provide more extensive accesses to their technology than the West.
The rest is up to domestic scientists, to upgrade or modify those Russian technologies, and that will be the case in the future of Iran -Russia military cooperations...
A-F
Yes, and since Iran's only real potential combat opponent id the U.S...All those fancy toys you speak of won't be very useful. At least not for the foreseeable future.
DeleteYossarian at 10:15AM
DeleteIt is better to manufacture those "toys" in the country and give an employment as well as good wages to the population than to send scientists to foreign countries who will subsidy certain entity, and the Iranian population will have to look for an emigration or work for minimum wages, making profit for foreign investors...
Transfer of more complete techologies (from Russia), will give chances to Iranian scientists to analyze and create their own better advanced designs in much shorter time than in case of the best "permissions" (transfers of technology) from the West.
A-F
AFlack------ the Russians are never going to transfer --- or give access to --- really advanced technology to Iranian scientists or technicians. Iran will remain a dozen years behind.
DeleteRegarding Iran needing 5000 tanks 10000 apc's, 4-500 4th generation fighters, helicopter carriers....... Thats a nice dream about iran looking like a western military power! Why dream such waistful dreams? Try and live in the 21st century. Appreciate that todays Iran has developed a impressive military industrial complex specifically to provide the specific weapons systems needed to accomplish specific missions, as part of a very specific doctrine derived of 5000 years of military tradition and a whole lotta latteral and littoral thinking! If Lebanon 2006 is anything to go by? Limitations of tanks? limitations of air supieriority? Capture of FAW peninsula 1987?
ReplyDeleteIf Russia was ready to sign contracts with the previous mid 90's Khatami government for high end tech such as s-300, sukoi aircraft.....? Given the new administration in Tehran, newfound determination from moscow to honour contracts, i think it is very feasible that this new dynamic has potential to see a re-invigoration of Russian/Iranian co-operation rather quickly. Some flexibility from the guardian council hence some sort of Nuclear deal not withstanding. Not sure such co-operation even needs to be at the level of the Russian/Indian level for Iran to truly achieve a strategic and tactical deterrent for 50 billion a year.
Russia is not a friend to Iran and is not going to become a friend to Iran and day dreams aren't reality.
DeleteI agree the russians are not to be trusted,they are at best sometime partners of convenience they are not friends or allies of iran
DeleteEven with the insufficient defense budget, the great nation of IRAN's self-sufficient, self-reliant and self-confident, along with its military power, might and capability has kept those world's Zionist warmongers of the U.S./Israel/West/Middle Eastern puppets just right at bay for 34 long years especially just after the 1980-1988 Iraq-imposed war on IRAN. Therefore the U.S. can keep on with its years of hollow rethoric term of 'barkings', while the U.S.'s life-term master of Israel with its 'beating the empty drums of war' against a new regional superpower of IRAN. The '34' has already proved it. What else? Could one imagine what if IRAN's defense budget is well sufficient?
ReplyDelete