Tasnim � Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami underlined Iran�s advances in the defense sector, saying the Islamic Republic is currently capable of manufacturing 90 percent of its defense equipment inside the country.

�We have reached the pinnacle of defense technology despite the sanctions,� General Hatami said on Thursday, during a speech in the northwestern province of Zanjan.

He highlighted Iran�s progress in the defense industry under the pressure of the sanctions, saying more than 90 percent of the country�s military and defense needs are supplied locally at present.

Ever since the victory of Iran�s Islamic Revolution in 1979, the United States and its allies have been taking the country under indiscriminate economic and trade sanctions.

The US lifted the nuclear-related ones among the bans after the conclusion of a multi-national nuclear accord between Iran and world powers in 2015. In 2018, however, it unilaterally and illegally left the deal and returned the sanctions.

Over the past years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing military equipment and hardware despite sanctions and economic pressures imposed on the country.