Iran Announces Delivery of First Batch of S-300 Missile System Equipment

Iranian media reported on Tuesday, April 23, the arrival of the first batch of S-300 air defense system equipment in the country, with the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry stating that 'the first phase of this contract is proceeding as planned.' Young Journalists Club published images on Tuesday of the transfer of some military equipment at the port of Anzali, noting that a citizen journalist associated with the news agency explained that these trucks were carrying the S-300 missile system. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting also reported on the same day that a journalist inquired about the arrival of the first series of the S-300 system at the port of Anzali and its current status from Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Jaberi Ansari responded, 'I have previously mentioned that new agreements between the two countries for the implementation of this delayed contract, which had its dates and timelines postponed, have been reached and are in the execution phase.' He added, 'The first phase of this contract is proceeding as planned, and we hope that based on the new timeline that exists, the various execution stages will be completed by the end of the contract.' On Sunday, Ibrahim Rahimpour, the Deputy for Asia and the Pacific at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, commented on the latest negotiations for the delivery of the S-300, stating, 'The agreement regarding the S-300 has been finalized. I believe that actions regarding the first shipment will take place in the coming days.' Iranian media had previously reported that the S-300 missile system was scheduled to be loaded at a ceremony in the Russian port of Astrakhan last March and sent to Iran via the Caspian Sea. However, in response to these reports, a senior Russian Defense Ministry official stated that since Iran had not yet made a payment, the delivery of this missile system to Iran was not possible. The S-300 anti-aircraft missile can target aircraft at a distance of 150 kilometers and has the capability to track 100 targets simultaneously. Israel and the United States are the main opponents of delivering these systems to Iran. Iran and Russia signed a contract in 2007 for the delivery of five systems of these missiles to Tehran, but Dmitry Medvedev, the then-President of Russia, suspended the contract in 2010 due to international sanctions. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, lifted the ban on selling the S-300 to Iran last year, after which the two countries began negotiations to update this system and additional payments from Iran. Tehran is required to pay $900 million for the updated system, which is $100 million more than the previous contract.