The Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that while an armed conflict with the West was unlikely, Iran’s armed forces must boost their defense capacities. The call on Iran’s armed forces to boost their capabilities came after Iran announced plans to boost its ballistic and cruise missile capacity and acquire modern fighter planes and submarines to boost its defenses. According to Iranian officials, the decision was made in response to the U.S. pullout from the multilateral nuclear agreement, which limits Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for international sanctions relief.