Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system (Source: ITAR-TASS/Dmitry Rogulin)
MOSCOW (Combined Sources)—Russia has begun the delivery of its S-300 air defense systems to Iran, Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation, Vladimir Kozhin, told TASS news agency on Thursday.
“The contract is in action. They’ve begun,” Kozhin said.
Iranian ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanai said late last month that his country had received the first S-300 systems.
Sergey Chemezov, head of the Rostec Corporation, Russia’s largest defense contractor, said earlier that the new contract for the selling of the S-300 system to Iran had taken effect at the beginning of November. The contract was finalized after Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted a ban from selling the air defense system to Iran. Iran will reportedly receive the S-300PMU-2 configuration of the system.
Russia and Iran signed a contract in 2007 for the supply of five S-300PMU-1 battalions, but in fall of 2010 then-President Dmitry Medvedev banned the supply of these systems to Tehran. The contract, worth more than $800 million, was annulled and a paid advance was returned to Iran. Iran filed an almost $4 billion lawsuit against Russia at the Geneva Court of Arbitration over Russia’s nonfulfillment of the contract.
In spring of 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on the supply of S-300 systems to Tehran.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Russia Begins Delivery of Air Defense Systems to Iran