U.S. sanctions "ineffective" on Iran's army: commander

A top Iranian army commander said that the U.S.-sponsored sanctions against Islamic Republic have proved "ineffective" on Iran's army, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Sunday.

"The sanctions have had no impact on Iran's military technology, because our military knowledge is based on the experiences of the eight-year sacred defense (Iran-Iraq war in 1980's) and other wars that took place in neighboring countries," Brigadier General Hossein Valivand-Zamani was quoted as saying.

Before Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, the country was dependent on the U.S. military training and the educational materials were mostly translations of Western military sciences, Valivand-Zamani said on Sunday, adding that after the Revolution, however, Iran's military know-how became "localized" and the country's army uses no Western military training material.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems, he said according to the report.

Iran is under sanction pressures by the United States, European Union and other Western countries over its controversial nuclear program, which the West believe is moving to the atomic weaponry developments. However, Tehran denied the allegations, claiming that its nuclear program is for civilian and peaceful purpose.

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