Putin Authorizes Delivery of S-300 Air Defense System to Iran

Russian news agency Interfax reported on Monday, April 24, quoting the press service of the Russian presidency, that the President of Russia has issued a decree allowing the delivery of the S-300 defense system to Iran. According to this news agency, Vladimir Putin signed a decree lifting the ban on the delivery of the S-300 air defense system to Iran from Russian territory or through Russian air and maritime space. Reuters also reports that the Russian Ministry of Defense has stated that if a political decision is made, the delivery of this air defense system to Iran will be 'quick and immediate.' The S-300 missile system is capable of targeting aircraft at an altitude of 30 kilometers and at a distance of 150 kilometers, with the ability to track 100 targets simultaneously. Iran's acquisition of this system could alter the equations regarding a potential Israeli airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Moscow committed to providing the S-300 missile defense system to the Islamic Republic in 2007 under an $800 million contract. However, this contract was never executed due to the adoption of a UN resolution imposing sanctions on Iran in 2010, which prohibited the sale or transfer of missiles and missile systems to Iran, leading to Iran's protest and a request for $4 billion in compensation from Moscow. The main critics of the Iran-Russia contract were the United States and Israel, who urged the Kremlin not to provide such advanced weaponry to Tehran. Previously, Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's Minister of Defense, announced the initiation of legal action regarding what he called 'Russian obstruction in delivering the S-300 missile system' and stated that a 'domestic' version of this missile system would be produced in Iran 'soon.' Meanwhile, Kazem Jalali, spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, had previously stated that the S-300 missile defense system is 'not a necessary need for the country.' Putin's new decision to remove obstacles to the delivery of the S-300 to Iran comes after Russia, along with several other global powers, recently reached an understanding with Iran regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear dispute.