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Iran waiting for S-300 system delivery this year

24 April 2015 16:23 (UTC+04:00)
Iran waiting for S-300 system delivery this year

By Sara Rajabova

Russia and Iran are finally close to sort out a disagreement over the delivery of the anti-aircraft missile systems S-300.

An Iranian top military official has said the country is ready to receive the S-300 system, hoping it will occur this year.

Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, Iran’s defense minister told Russia Today that the issue of the S-300 system is an old one between Russia and Iran as they had already signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of the system.

Under the $800 million contract signed in 2007 by the two countries, Russia was to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran. However, it cancelled the contract in the wake of UN sanctions.

In turn, Tehran went as far as filing a $4 billion lawsuit against Russia’s intermediary agency for exports and imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services, Rosoboron export with Geneva's arbitration court. Iran said it has no intention to withdraw the lawsuit until it receives the missile systems.

Dehghan said at that time Iran sent some experts to Russia, adding that there they were trained on both the technical and the practical aspects of this system. He also noted that the ministry prepared proper structures for the system in Iran.

He said the issue of the contract had been raised at various negotiations and meetings between the presidents of the two countries.

Vladimir Putin signed a decree in mid-April to lift a ban on the supply of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.

Dehghan added that the Russian party announced there were some limitations, indicating that the former president of Russia had suspended the contract and that in accordance with the Russian governments’ tradition, the current president usually refrains from cancelling orders given by his predecessor.

He went on to say that the current president has the same authorities as his predecessor, so he must have the power to do this.

Although Russia lifted its ban on the missile’s delivery, no exact delivery date has been scheduled. Tehran is determined to receive the missile systems before year's end.

The two sides agreed to examine all technical issues related to the S-300 air defense missile systems in the coming months, so that it could be delivered to Tehran by the end of the current year, according to Iranian media.

'Today, we consider the acceptance as Russia’s decision to fulfill its obligations to Iran under the S-300 contract. The question of whether we need such systems to counteract Israel, or to guarantee our nuclear security, should be considered from the perspective that every country seeks to have access to various systems that it deems necessary to meet its defense and security needs. And likewise, in order to meet such needs, Iran doesn't need to make arrangements with any authorities, nor does it need to ask anyone's permission. Iran will make the decision on its own, and will implement it on its own,” Dehghan said.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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