Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday the country had to develop its military forces to prevent other states taking over its territory and resources.

“We should make ourselves ready to fight against the military powers who want to take over our territory and our resources,” Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television on National Defense Industry Day.

Over the past years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing military equipment and hardware despite sanctions and economic pressures on the country.

The Islamic Republic maintains that its military power is solely for defensive purposes and does not pose any threat to other nations.

Source: Agencies