The way I see it, at this point the impediment is not a technological one. Yes the Iranian educational system focuses on math and sciences and the difference is palpable for anybody who goes to study abroad. But the system really fails when it comes to social and human sciences... things like writing, social studies, critical thinking skills, etc.... And the results of that can also be easily observed within the Iranian society. Why the Iranian educational system looks down upon the humanities so much is I believe a combination of general cultural ignorance at the popular level and a religious government that for obvious reasons doesn't see much of an incentive in promoting critical thinking among its populace. But regardless of the cause, that translates into a society that has a tendency to sit and stagnate, one that is extremely slow in addressing gross inefficiencies, one that has a hard time reasoning its way out of problems, one that has difficulty building frameworks within which others can participate and cause growth..... And the symptoms of these shortcomings abound throughout the Iranian society, from the car industry, to the Iranian football premier league, to the way defense projects and procurements are handled, to the Iranian court system and the bureaucratic nightmare you have to deal with to get anything done in Iran.
For example, there are more than half a dozen piecemeal add-on projects on the books for AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Yet not one comprehensive upgrade program with clear requirements has been identified and put together to keep these birds competitive.
I'm not saying we're terminally stuck with these problems. As a matter of fact, I'm very optimistic and hopeful about the mid to long term future of Iran. What's happened since the revolution is that we've shielded ourselves from foreign domination and the brutal and destructive foreign interventions that were commonplace in most of the19th and 20th centuries. There's no question in the fact that We've lifted ourselves by our bootstraps and won a couple of rounds against foreign powers. And in the process we've bought ourselves some breathing room. But soon will begin the more difficult work of asking ourselves some fundamental questions that will put us on the path not only to survive but to thrive.