Iran's president said on Sunday the Defense Ministry and the armed forces could play a wider role in helping the government address structural economic shortfalls, arguing that their technical and human-resource capacities should be aligned with national development goals.
Speaking at a meeting of the Defense Ministry’s Strategic Council, Masoud Pezeshkian said the ministry’s capabilities could help coordinate different sectors of the state and support efforts to correct fiscal and administrative shortages that have contributed to chronic budget deficits and inefficiencies.
Pezeshkian’s visit included a stop at facilities damaged during the June 12-day war with Israel, according to state media.
Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh briefed the president on plans to expand defense capabilities and deepen cooperation with public and private sectors, including technology transfer and joint industrial projects.
Pezeshkian said the armed forces’ manpower and technical expertise could be used “to help resolve problems and manage the country’s imbalances,” adding that overcoming economic strain required the same “collective mobilization” that Iran relied on during the 1980–88 war with Iraq.
He accused Iran’s adversaries of seeking to exacerbate domestic economic pressures, saying foreign powers “know that a military attack alone cannot bring down the Islamic Republic” and instead try to fuel discontent over inflation and shortages.
The president said that a “bloated administrative structure” and its associated costs remain key drivers of Iran’s budget deficit. He said his government is working to curb spending and improve productivity as it drafts next year’s budget.
“It is unacceptable to fund an administrative system, pay its staff, and yet see public dissatisfaction with the quality of services,” Pezeshkian said, urging reforms to reduce overheads and improve efficiency.
He also stressed that “unity and cohesion” were essential for addressing the country’s structural problems. “For 47 years we have focused on changing individuals rather than fixing root causes. We must begin reforms with ourselves,” he said.
