Iran's Foreign Minister Welcomes Russia's Decision to Deliver S-300

Iran's Foreign Minister has welcomed the decision of the Russian President to lift the ban on the delivery of the S-300 missile defense system, describing it as a "positive step in the right direction." The official news agency of the Islamic Republic reported on April 15, citing Mohammad Javad Zarif, stating, "This action removes one of the problematic points in Iran-Russia relations." Vladimir Putin's decision to reverse his predecessor's ban and deliver the S-300 missile defense system to Iran has faced opposition from Washington and Tel Aviv. John Kerry expressed the United States' concerns regarding Moscow's decision during a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Monday. Simultaneously, Israel's Minister of Intelligence and Strategic Affairs condemned Russia's decision. On the other hand, Sergey Lavrov stated that the Lausanne agreement on the final framework of Iran's nuclear deal has made the ban on delivering S-300 systems to the country "unnecessary." According to IRNA, Zarif mentioned that Tehran is looking forward to more strategic cooperation with Russia; "These collaborations are good for peace and security in our region and for combating extremism and violence in Central Asia and other areas in the region." Reuters also reported similar statements from Zarif during a press conference in Madrid. Reuters quoted Vladimir Sazhin, an Iran expert at the Russian Academy of Sciences, stating that discussions regarding the next steps of this agreement are expected to take place in the coming days during the visit of Hossein Dehghan, Iran's Defense Minister, to Moscow. According to Sazhin, Tehran has been Russia's third partner in defense and military matters. This expert told Reuters that Moscow is seeking to revive its cooperation with Tehran, although extensive cooperation is only possible if sanctions are lifted and banking transactions are re-established. In this context, the opposition from the United States and Israel to the lifting of the ban on the delivery of S-300 to Iran is notable. The Iranian Defense Minister stated that expanding cooperation with Russia could be effective for regional stability, while Shamkhani mentioned that after receiving the S-300, Iran would withdraw its complaint against Russia.