SpaceWar.com reports: “Iran’s government has proposed tripling its military spending, an official said Tuesday, as tensions with arch-rival Israel rise following recent tit-for-tat missile strikes.

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani outlined the move that would see ‘a significant increase of more than 200 percent in the country’s military budget’ at a news conference in Tehran, without elaborating.

Tehran has not disclosed any exact figures, but according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank, Iran’s military spending in 2023 was about $10.3 billion.

The proposed budget will be debated, with lawmakers expected to finalise it in March.

‘All efforts have been made to meet the country’s defence needs and special attention has been paid to this issue,’ said Mohajerani…”