"Due to the innovations and the kind of weapons that are being manufactured, this amount will further increase in the future," he was quoted as saying after a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
Iran is now autonomous in drone engine production and is working on manufacturing heavy engines, the minister said.
Iranian officials held meetings with representatives from several regional countries, including Armenia and Qatar, to discuss "what can be done to form the basis of expanding cooperation" in defense, Ashtiani said, adding that Tehran took a similar approach to Russia and Turkiye.