Tasnim � Iranian President Hassan Rouhani highlighted the country�s capacity to manufacture military hardware, saying Iran�s exports of defense equipment have jumped by 227 percent.

Rouhani made the announcement at a ceremony to unveil the latest domestically-made military products developed by the Defense Ministry, including the country�s first homegrown jet trainer, dubbed Kowsar.

He said the budget for the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense in the previous Iranian year (which ended on March 20) had increased by about 77 percent compared to three years earlier, adding that the budget for boosting the country�s defense capability has risen by 145%.

�The production capacity of industrial and defense organizations has increased by 148% and the exports of defense sector by 227 percent�,� the president said, comparing the figures to those in 2013 when he took office.

�We have always declared that strengthening the defense capability of Iran�s armed forces is only meant for defending our country and will never be used against other countries,� he said.

Rouhani went on to say that the Islamic Republic will never ask for permission from anybody to boost its armed forces� capabilities and produce missiles and aircraft.

In the ceremony, held at Iran Helicopter Support and Renewal Company (IHSRC) in Tehran, President Rouhani unveiled Kowsar, the country�s first jet aircraft used for training.

Other military gear unveiled in the ceremony included a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dubbed Mojaher-6, Naseer anti-ship cruise missile, and Fakour air-to-air missile.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Tehran has always assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to the regional countries, saying that the Islamic Republic�s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.