Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in an October 19, 2022 address that was aired on Channel 1 (Iran) that in the past, the West had dismissed Iran’s missile and drone technologies, but that today admits that they are very dangerous and complains about Iran supplying them to “so-and-so.” It should be noted that Khamenei’s statement may be a reference to recent reports that Russia has been using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine. Khamenei also said that the drones are the pride of Iran. Later in the address, he said that industrial use of nuclear energy has increased throughout the world, and that if Iran had not begun developing its nuclear project many years ago, it would have had to do so now and suffer the consequences of being so far behind the rest of the world.
The West Used To Say Images Of Iranian Drones “Had Been Photoshopped, But Now They Are Saying [They] Are Very Dangerous, [Asking] Why We Are Selling Or Giving Them To So-And-So”
Ali Khamenei: “With regards to [our] production of advanced missile and drone technology — a few years ago pictures of them first appeared, the [Westerners] used to say that those images had been photoshopped, but now they are saying that the Iranian drones are very dangerous, and [they are asking us] why we are selling or giving them to so-and-so.
[…]
The West Falsely Claims “That The World Is Turning Away From Nuclear Industry And Nuclear Energy; These Are Absolute Lies; Every Day, They Are Expanding Their Nuclear Bases”
“They are telling us that there is something problematic called ‘nuclear technology’ in this country and that we should let them take it away and rid us of it. They are saying such things. They falsely claim that the world is turning away from nuclear industry and nuclear energy. These are absolute lies. Every day, they are expanding their nuclear bases — I am not talking about military bases, but about industrial ones.
“We need this, and if we had not already started it years ago, we would have had to start today, and reap the benefits only in 30 years. This is not something a country can simply forget about.”