UPDATE 1-Leader Khamenei says Iran has a strong Air Force despite U.S. pressure

Iran has a very strong Air Force despite limitations imposed on the country by the United States since the country's 1979 Islamic revolution, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of Air Force commanders and staff on Saturday.

"Since the revolution, their aim was to stop us from having a strong air force ... but look at us now. We even build planes. We have transformed their pressure to opportunity," said Khamenei according to state news agency IRNA. Iran is marking the 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, which toppled the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The Islamic Republic has vowed to increase its military strength despite mounting pressure from Western countries to curtail its military capabilities, including its ballistic missile program.