Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami urged the lawmakers to boost the country’s defense budget, stressing that it will strengthen Iran’s deterrence power, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported. “The committed experts of the defense industry are making their utmost efforts to enhance the country's defense power and therefore, today, the enemies of Islamic Iran who are fully aware of the powerful Iranian Armed Forces’ defense and military capabilities do not speak of military options anymore,” General Hatami said, addressing the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in Tehran. He expressed the hope that the Commission would allocate more budget to the defense field, warning that the enemies are spending billions of dollars to foment insecurity and instability in the region and renovate and update their defense capacities. The Iranian legislators in a recent statement underlined strong support for the country’s progress in different defense fields, hailing the Defense Ministry for its huge advances despite sanctions. “Undoubtedly, the defense industry’s progresses indicate this undeniable reality that the 40-year-long sanctions against Iran’s military industries have not prevented their growth, and the military industry has been an area of success and a role-model for defeating the sanctions,” the statement said. It described as a source of national pride Iran’s production of home-made pin-pointing long-range missiles, launch of satellite carriers, different vessels and submarines and drones as well as its self-sufficiency in designing and production of different defensive equipment. “We, the Parliament members, support the Iranian defense body’s measures and efforts as well as attempts by the Defense Ministry to support and make progress in defense industries, contribute to increasing the country's power in scientific and defense areas and play an effective role in the implementation of the economy of resistance and partner in non-oil exports,” the statement underlined.