Parl. Commission Approves Plan to Boost Iran's Defense Power

Speaking to local Iranian media on Sunday, Ebrahim Rezaei said the proposal had been drafted during the 12-day Israeli war of aggression against Iran in June and was subsequently reviewed by the commission with the participation of various state bodies.

He explained that the plan is aimed at bolstering the capabilities of the Iranian Armed Forces in confronting the Zionist regime’s crimes and acts of aggression.

Under the proposal, the Planning and Budget Organization and the Oil Ministry are required to fully allocate the 2025 defense budget as well as the outstanding portion of the 2024 defense budget, he said.

The Planning and Budget Organization has also been obliged to cover the annual allocations of the Supreme National Security Council for defense funding, either through savings in the general budget or through proceeds from oil sales, the MP added.

Rezaei stated that the Central Bank of Iran must provide up to €2 billion from blocked or other foreign currency resources as zero-interest loans to the General Staff of the Armed Forces for urgent defense projects.

Furthermore, the Planning and Budget Organization, in cooperation with the Central Bank and the Economy Ministry, will make available another €2 billion for the Defense Ministry to purchase major defense items from abroad in coordination with the General Staff, he said.

To support defense requirements, the Planning and Budget Organization and the Oil Ministry are also authorized to allocate $1.5 billion worth of oil to the Armed Forces, Rezaei stated.

The spokesman noted that the proposal also earmarks 30 percent of the revenues from the use of Iran’s air corridors and air transit fees to the Army for strengthening air defense systems.

“With the adoption of this plan, we expect concerns over strengthening the country’s defense power to be alleviated, and a fundamental transformation to take place in the Armed Forces’ equipment, capabilities, and even livelihood,” Rezaei stated, adding that the proposal will be reviewed in upcoming open sessions of the Parliament.