Iran's Defense Spending Lowest In Region

According to a new study by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) anyway.

In its latest Military Balance, the London-based institute cited the defence spending of Israel at $9.8 billion in 2005, nearly twice the amount for Iran, despite having a population of less than a tenth of Iran's 65 million.

In per capita terms, Iran's military expenditure in 2005 was equivalent to only $81 compared to $1,565 spent by Israel, which was almost the same as the US and twice the proportion spent by the UK.

Iran's proportion per head was also less than half the average of $193 spent by other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The highest per capita military expenditure in the Persian Gulf was by Qatar, $2,547, ahead of Kuwait's $1,885, the UAE's $999, Saudi Arabia's $960 and Bahrain's 726, while Iran was by far the lowest.

In real terms, Saudi Arabia's defence spending...was almost five times that of Iran's despite having less than half the population.

Now I know that it's what you buy with the money and what you then DO with it that really counts. But this at least gives pause for thought that Iran's military might is being...ummm....exaggerated for political purposes.