Defense Minister Accuses 'Enemy' of Exploiting Economic Conditions and People's Lives

Iran's Defense Minister described the discussion of the 'economic situation and people's lives versus the defense programs' of the Islamic Republic as one of the 'enemy's tools in creating division and discord in society.' This statement comes amid protests from some participants in the January demonstrations against the Islamic Republic's policies in regional countries like Syria. According to ISNA news agency, the Defense Minister stated on Sunday, February 18, at a conference that the 'enemy's strategy in executing its sinister roles and plots includes sanctions, deprivation, and political and economic pressures' on one hand, and 'focusing on extensive psychological operations on the public opinion of the Iranian nation' on the other. He added that the implementation of the dual policy of 'choosing between not achieving defensive power on one hand' and 'focusing on the economic situation and improving people's livelihoods' is one of the 'enemy's tools in creating division and discord among the members of society.' The military budget for the year 1397 (2018) proposed by Hassan Rouhani's government to the parliament, which is currently under review, is about 44 trillion tomans, equivalent to 10 billion dollars. The parliament has also approved, with the 'permission' of the Supreme Leader, the withdrawal of an additional 2.5 billion dollars from the National Development Fund for next year's military programs. Representatives of the ninth and tenth parliaments have also approved measures to increase Iran's military budget following the Vienna nuclear agreement. According to the sixth development plan, the government is required to increase at least five percent of the 'public budget' to Iran's defense budget each year and also to take action to 'develop and increase missile production capabilities.' Previously, military expert Hossein Aryan, residing in Britain, told Radio Farda that according to the 'Military Balance' statistics published annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, Iran's military budget in 2016 was 15.9 billion dollars. Aryan stated that 'the military spending of the UAE is almost equal to that of Iran, but Saudi Arabia's military budget exceeds 80 billion dollars a year. A significant portion of the spending of Gulf Arab countries is rooted in their arms purchases.' Earlier, the spokesperson for Hassan Rouhani's government announced that Iran's defense and security budget in 1396 (2017) was about 40 trillion tomans, stating that this budget had increased by 128 percent over a four-year period. Some experts believe that the profits of the Revolutionary Guards and the Ministry of Defense are not accounted for in the military budget, and when these figures are calculated, the military budget will be higher. Meanwhile, Aryan told Radio Farda that 'Iran has other military expenses as well. For example, the annual cost of the Islamic Republic in Syria is estimated to be between 15 to 20 billion, a significant portion of which is military spending.' The Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which has led to sanctions against Iran over the past ten years, has also faced criticism in Iran. Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated during the 2013 presidential election campaign that 'both the centrifuges must spin and the wheels of people's lives must turn.' The costs that Tehran incurs in countries like Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon to support the Assad regime and its allied groups have also led to protests. Some protesters in the January demonstrations voiced their objections to these actions. Bloomberg reported in 2015 that, based on estimates and research, Tehran spends about six billion dollars annually on the Assad regime, and in some cases, this assistance has reached up to 15 billion dollars. Additionally, Reuters and other media outlets previously reported that since 2013, the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic has provided several lines of credit worth five billion and 600 million dollars to its Syrian counterpart, which is primarily used for oil imports by the Damascus regime. Some critics of the Islamic Republic believe that these actions have caused the Iranian people to miss many economic opportunities. From the perspective of these critics, these expenses are unjustifiable due to the country's poor economic situation and the lives of the people. Mohammad Mokhber Dezfuli, head of the so-called 'Executive Headquarters of Imam's Command,' recently announced that 12 million people in Iran live below the 'absolute poverty line,' and between 25 to 30 million people live below the 'relative poverty line.'