Iran to Get Upgraded Russian S-300 Missiles

by Stephen Lendman

In 2007, Russia agreed to supply Iran with five battalions of S-300 medium-range air defense missiles. They designed to defend military, industrial and other strategic sites against enemy air attacks.

Russia's technology is the most sophisticated air defense systems in service, able to destroy targets with pinpoint accuracy. Its newest generation S-400s have both medium and long range capability.

In 2010, then President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to observe Security Council Resolution 1929 - imposing new sanctions on Iran on top of earlier ones. He annulled the 2007 S-300 contract.

It's reinstated. On August 19, responding to whether selling S-300s to Iran violated Washington imposed sanctions, Sergey Lavrov said:

"The US sanctions are no concern of ours. We only fulfill our international obligations, above all, with regard to sanctions. This is the decision of the UN Security Council." 

"All other unilateral restrictions imposed bypassing the Security Council in violation of the general norms of the international law are of no interest to us." 

"So, let our American colleagues study the issue. Perhaps it will useful for them to come to the conclusion that far from all corresponds to their vision of international law."

Days earlier Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said "the decision on possibly supplying S-300 to Iran has already been made by the Russian president, and technical issues of this matter are being discussed. This is an exclusively bilateral issue. Participation of third countries is not envisaged and is not required."

In April, Putin lifted the ban on supplying Tehran with S-300s after P5+1 countries and Iran signed a preliminary nuclear agreement.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov calls it a done deal. "As things stand now, this topic is closed," he said.

"We have reached full understanding on the matter together with our Iranian partners. The question has been fundamentally solved. The rest is just technical details."

Delivery will be later this year, fulfilling earlier agreed on terms. Other countries sold S-300s include China, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and Vietnam.

State Department spokesman Admiral John Kirby said "(w)e certainly object to" the sale. He commented following Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan saying Tehran would receive Russia's latest S-300 technology.

"All (upgraded) changes (made) by the Russians over these years will be implemented on the S-300 system that is going to be delivered to Iran, and we will receive the system soon," he explained.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said "(w)e have long expressed our concerns over reports of the possible sale of this missile system to the Iranians."

Last April, Netanyahu railed against it - demanding Russia halt its planned delivery. "Israel will do whatever is necessary to defend the security of the state and its citizens," he blustered.

Washington and Israel want Tehran vulnerable to US and IDF air attacks. S-300s installed make them less likely. Security Council sanctions don't ban them.

Putin military and technical cooperation aide Vladimir Kozhin said Iran will get fully upgraded S-300s, the latest technology for this generation of surface-to-air defense missiles.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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