Iranian state media reported that Iran's top security body approved the creation of a National Defense Council last night after a brief air war with Israel in June, which was the most serious military challenge for Iran since the war with Iraq in the 1980s, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“The new defense body will review defense plans and improve the capabilities of the Iranian armed forces in a centralized manner,“ the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.
The defense council will be chaired by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and will consist of the heads of the three branches of government, senior commanders of the armed forces and ministers.
Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami warned last night that Israel remained a threat to Iran, which should not be underestimated.
Pakistan and Iran have signed agreements pledging to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion and work more closely to eliminate the threat of terrorism for the benefit of peace and prosperity in the region, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The agreements in various sectors, including energy and trade, were signed during the two-day visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
"We have set a target of trade worth $10 billion. "We are committed to achieving this goal and hope to achieve it as soon as possible," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at a joint briefing.
Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's position in support of Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program under the UN Charter and condemned Israel's aggression against Iran, saying it "has no justification".
The Pakistani prime minister added that the two countries would take effective steps to eliminate terrorism and open avenues for prosperity in the region.
For his part, the Iranian president said that he believed it was possible to reach the $10 billion mark, which would represent a more than three-fold increase in trade.
"I am deeply convinced that we can easily, in a short time, increase the volume of our trade relations from the current $3 billion to the planned target of $10 billion." dollars", Pezeshkian said.
He thanked the government and people for supporting Iran "during the 12-day terrorist aggression by the Zionist regime and the United States".