Iranian universities working on defense projects

Senior Iranian science officials said that the country's universities and academic centers are accomplishing around 300 projects for the defense ministry.Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology Kamran Daneshjou underlined the key role of Iran's academic centers in strengthening the country's capability in defense fields, saying that half of the researches carried out at Iran's academic centers are aimed at increasing the country's defense capabilities. Daneshjou stated that 50% of academic research in Iran centers on boosting the country's defensive capabilities. He added that 200 defense projects have thus far been implemented in the form of 1,000 university dissertations and theses. Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes. Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country. Iran has also made huge achievements in various fields of science and technology, from nuclear knowledge to stem cell and Nano technology. In a most recent case, Iranian Health Minister Marziyeh Vahid Dastjerdi announced last month that the country would soon start production of 15 types of anti-cancer drugs. "15 types of monoclonal anti-body drugs are being synthesized with the help of the Scientific Department of the Presidential Office, using hi-tech technology," Vahid Dastjerdi said. Also earlier this year, Iranian scientists succeeded in producing new types of medication for treating different kinds of cancer, viral diseases and arthritis with 100% positive results.