Iran Approves Largest Military Budget amid Tensions with Israel

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Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mahjoubani stated to local media today, Tuesday, that the Islamic Republic plans to boost its military budget by around 200% following Israeli attacks on military sites and missile production and storage facilities.

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This planned increase in the defense budget is part of a proposed budget submitted by the government to Parliament for approval.

Mahjoubani stated, “We anticipate a significant increase of up to 200% in Iran’s defense budget,” without providing further details.

In recent months, Iran and Israel have exchanged missile fire; Israel struck Tehran on Saturday in response to an Iranian missile attack on October 1, which its air defenses reportedly intercepted mostly.

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On Monday, Tehran announced that it would use “all available means” to respond to Israel’s attack earlier in the week on military targets in Iran.

Iran supports the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which is engaged in fierce fighting with Israeli forces, as well as the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which is at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Tehran relies on cooperation with countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea in the military manufacturing sector following Western sanctions, particularly from the United States. Iranian authorities import most of their military capabilities from these countries and have also provided military support to Moscow in the war in Ukraine.

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The increase in military funding reflects Iran’s concerns about the potential for military targeting by Israel and its Western allies.

Western reports indicate that in its latest attack on Iran, the Israeli air force managed to destroy several Russian S-300 systems, although this has not been confirmed by Iran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for restraint, advising against exaggerating or downplaying the attack’s implications.

Amidst these threats and pressures, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday in Jerusalem that Iran seeks to build nuclear bombs to destroy Israel and could subsequently threaten the entire world.

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In the opening session of the Knesset, he announced, “Iran is working to build a stockpile of nuclear bombs to destroy Israel, carried by long-range missiles,” adding that it “could threaten the whole world anywhere.”

He added, “Halting Iran’s nuclear program is our priority, but for obvious reasons, I cannot share all our strategies and moves in this regard.”

The Iranian government has consistently denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons, insisting that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

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In recent years, Iran has reduced its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, while significantly advancing its nuclear program, including accumulating large stocks of enriched uranium.

Netanyahu stated on Monday that “the axis of evil led by Iran threatens to destroy our country and seize control of other states.” He added that it “seeks to dominate our region by force,” indicating that Israel is “the true barrier to Iran’s ambitions.”

He explained, “According to Iran, if Israel falls, many countries will fall with it. And the entire Middle East would fall into its hands.”

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