US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered large-scale military strikes against dozens of targets in Yemen controlled by Tehran-backed Houthi militants, warning Iran about the consequences of its continued support for the rebels.
The platform, designed to operate on domestic languages and remain functional even with internet disruptions, is slated for full release by March 2026, according to the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
"This platform is a living entity and must be constantly updated," said Vice-President Hossein Afshin, during the unveiling ceremony.
He outlined a phased rollout, with initial testing and optimization in 2025, followed by limited access for experts and knowledge-based companies, a public beta release, and the final version in March 2026.
Framing the project as a strategic move in a global "war of chips and algorithms.”
Afshin and other officials present in the ceremony cited the platform's open-source nature and domestic infrastructure as key advantages, which they said will ensure its functionality even under sanctions or internet disruptions.
"If they want to sanction us, Iran has already obtained this technology," Afshin said.
"We are moving forward with the world," said Hamidreza Rabiei, head of the Advanced Information and Communication Technology Research Institute. "We are not taking any API from any foreign platform, and if the internet is cut off, nothing will happen to the platform because we are connected to the national internet."
The project, involving nearly 100 researchers and experts, aims to address Iran's lagging AI development compared to regional peers.
"We do not have a good situation in AI indicators compared to the countries of the region," said Hossein Asadi, director of the Rapid Processing Center and Sharif University's representative in the project. He cited declining research articles and slow growth in AI-focused companies as evidence.
A key partner in Iran's new AI platform, Sharif University is under international sanctions for its involvement in military and ballistic missile projects. The university, which maintains close ties with the Ministry of Defense, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the IRGC Air Force, has faced sanctions from the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
A demo of the AI platform was unveiled during a visit of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to an exhibition called "Pioneers of Progress" in late January.
According to the creators, the platform's features include a GPU-based processing infrastructure, large language and multi-modal models, intelligent agents, and application layers for various industries.
The country’s first AI platform was unveiled a few months after a European Union report raised concerns about Iran's increasing reliance on AI-driven technologies for surveillance and suppression, highlighting the development of systems aimed at enforcing state control over digital information.
The report, titled "Artificial intelligence (AI) and human rights: Using AI as a weapon of repression and its impact on human rights," detailed how Iran is deploying AI-based tools to enhance its monitoring capabilities.
"Examples include the use of facial recognition technology during protests, the use of AI-driven bots and automated accounts to amplify content favorable to the regime, and the use of AI-based tools to produce content in different languages, in order to reach a global audience,” read the report.
Specifically, the report points to Iran's development of the National Information Network (NIN), a domestically focused internet infrastructure designed to isolate Iranian users from the global web.
The network, the report said, significantly strengthens the government's ability to impose censorship and restrict access to counter-narratives disseminated on foreign websites.
According to the report, Iran's AI development is bolstered by partnerships with Chinese entities, including major companies supplying technology to its police and military. Hardware imports, primarily from the UAE but also from China, Turkey, and India, further support these capabilities.
"Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account.
He urged the Houthis' sponsors in Iran to "immediately stop their support."
"Do NOT threaten the American People, their President... If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!" the US president said in his warning to Iran.
The New York Times cited US officials as saying the Saturday airstrike, the most significant military action of Trump’s second term so far, "was also meant to send a warning signal to Iran."
The airstrikes against Yemen's Houthis may continue for days or even weeks, Reuters reported, citing an American official.
Trump said the Houthis "waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones."
"The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of global commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends," he said.
Trump warned the Houthis that their time is up. "Your attacks must stop, starting today. If they don’t, hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before!"
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the beginning of the Gaza war, the Houthis started massive missile and drone strikes against commercial vessels in an effort to pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza. They imposed a blockade in the Red Sea region, significantly disrupting global shipping routes.
Shortly after Trump's inauguration, Iran directed its allied forces across the Middle East including the Houthis to act with restraint, the Telegraph reported, citing a senior Iranian official in Tehran.
“Forces and allies in the region have been instructed to act with caution as [the regime] feels an existential threat with Trump’s return,” the Iranian official said.
However, the Houthis for the first time fired surface-to-air missiles at a US F-16 fighter jet over the Red Sea last month in what officials described as a significant escalation in the Iran-backed group's ongoing conflict with the US military.
They also fired a surface-to-air missile at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone that the US military was flying over Yemen.
The Houthis have earlier shot down several MQ-9 Reaper drones over the past year. Every single one of these drones costs about $32 million, according to a Congressional report.
