Russian Defense Ministry Denies Sending S-300 System to Iran

Following reports in Iran regarding the arrival of the S-300 missile system in Iran on Thursday, a Russian Defense Ministry official denied this news on Wednesday, February 17. Iranian media had previously reported that Hossein Dehghan, the Iranian Defense Minister currently in Russia, was set to attend a ceremony for the delivery of the S-300 missile systems to Iran in Astrakhan on Thursday. However, a senior Russian Defense Ministry official told TASS that, 'Since Iran has not paid the amount stipulated in the contract by February 16, the start of the delivery of the first batch of S-300 MU-2 missile systems is not possible.' The Russian official added that, therefore, the presence of the Iranian Defense Minister at the symbolic ceremony for the delivery of this missile system is baseless. Meanwhile, last Tuesday, Hossein Dehghan stated in an interview with Iranian state television that, 'The S-300 systems are ready and even packaged... We will receive part of it in the first quarter of this year and the rest by the middle of next year.' In this context, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson mentioned on Monday, February 15, that the delivery of the S-300 missile defense system from Russia to Iran is proceeding and has been finalized, and that the system 'is being transferred to Iran.' Iran and Russia signed a contract in 2007 for the purchase of the S-300 missile system worth $800 million. However, following the intensification of international sanctions against Iran, Russia announced in 2010 that it would refrain from delivering this missile system to Iran. Iran had filed a complaint in international forums seeking $4 billion in damages from Russia. However, in the spring of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on the delivery of the S-300 missile system to Iran. Earlier, Russian sources had stated that Moscow would deliver the S-300 MU-2 system, which has better capabilities, to Iran instead of the S-300 PMU-1, which has ceased production. The Interfax news agency quoted a source familiar with the contract as saying that the value of the four requested S-300 battalions by Iran has been set at $900 million, which is $100 million more than the contract Iran signed with Russia in 2007. In this context, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the S-300 system is being transferred to the country, and '80 Iranian specialists' are being trained in Russia to use the S-300. Russia has stated that Iran must withdraw its complaint for the S-300 contract to be executed.