Iran’s Brig.-Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force, has claimed that Iran has added artificial-intelligence capabilities to its technological arsenal.
Iran has already expanded its reach in space, in missiles, in drones and in cyber. Now it claims to have done so in AI.
Hajizadeh said in a speech this week, “We have achieved good successes in the fields of university and defense cooperation, and we can safely say that if we have gone from being an importer of barbed wire to an exporter of technology, by crossing the borders of knowledge we have defeated the enemy at a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers with artificial intelligence.”
The new claim didn’t specify exactly what “artificial intelligence” had been used or how it had been used to “defeat” an enemy.
Hajizadeh also spotlighted the importance of Iranian universities in creating a pipeline of expertise for the IRGC and Iranian military forces.
Iran’s IRGC is trying to increase the indigenous capabilities of Iran. It doesn’t want to rely on imported technology. It wants to export technology, such as drones, to places like Russia. According to Iran’s Tasnim News, the aerospace leader also answered questions during his talk.
“We have achieved good successes in the fields of university and defense cooperation, and we can safely say that if we have gone from being an importer of barbed wire to an exporter of technology and by crossing the borders of knowledge, we have defeated the enemy at a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers with artificial intelligence.”
Iran’s Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh
“Considering the realities of today’s world and the future horizon, we are committed to do space work and research, and this is one of the components of the power of every country, which has consequences in various fields of agriculture, flood control,” Hajizadeh said.
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He also discussed the importance of Iran’s investment in new radars. He said that Iran has suffered under sanctions for many years but noted that Iran has overcome these difficulties.
“In pursuing the strategy of active resistance, we hit the enemy hard and the balance of the region has changed so that until recent years some regimes in the region were seeking an alliance with the US,” he said.
He added that these countries have been working with the “Zionist regime” toward an “offensive approach towards Iran” but that recently these countries “have changed their approach from offensive to defensive.” Iran notes that “maximum pressure” against Iran has failed.
The report about the achievements of the IRGC Aerospace Force dovetail with other Iranian reports which note that international inspectors have said Iran’s uranium reserve is 19 times the limit set by the 2015 Iran deal. Iran’s foreign ministry has said Iran is not violating ‘red lines’ on the nuclear issue.
Iran is also seeking to improve relations with Latin-American countries, according to Iranian government media.
The country has improved its air defenses, inaugurated a new ship and is conducting drills with its ground forces this week. Iran is also basking in the limelight after harassing two US naval drones in the Persian Gulf.