Russian President Vladimir Putin visit to Budapest, Hungary – 17 Feb 2015
(Rex Features via AP Images)
Russia has announced that it will go ahead with the delivery of an advanced missile defense system to Iran following the removal of international sanctions on the Islamic Republic as a result of the recently inked nuclear agreement, according to reports.
While the United States, Israel, and other Western countries have opposed the sale, Russia has ignored these concerns, announcing on Tuesday that it could deliver the system, known as the S-300, within the next 18 months, the BBC reported.
The S-300 system is capable of striking enemy jets or incoming missiles and is viewed as a critical defense weapon for the Iranians.
The contract for the system is worth around $800 million and was signed in 2007. The sale had been held up over concerns about how Iran would use the defense system and sanctions preventing the sale of such weapons to Tehran.
A Russian arms manufacturer was recently quoted as saying that the agreement has now “come into force.”
“The deal to supply the S-300 to Iran has not only been signed between the parties but it has already come into force,” the BBC quoted Sergei Chemezov, the head of Russia’s Rostec arms firm, as stating at a recent forum.
Concerns remain among Western nations and experts that Iran could use the advanced system to shield its controversial nuclear sites from a potential U.S. or Israeli strike.
Russia is currently waiting for Iran to decide what type of S-300 system it would like to purchase, according to the BBC.
