MOSCOW – After Turkey, Russia may sell advanced Missile Defence System toyet another Muslim Country Iran, media had reported.
Russia and Iran are talking about deliveries of air defence assets andradio-electronic equipment to the country, as well as the creation of anintegrated system of Persian Gulf security, Federal Service ofMilitary-Technical Cooperation Director Dmitry Shugayev said.
Shugayev stressed that Russia acts strictly in compliance withinternational regulations, stating that defence cooperation on offensivearms with Tehran cannot be started before October 2020.
“Before the UN Security Council’s sanctions expire, we can discusscooperation on the following issues: air defence assets deliveries,creation of an integrated surveillance, security and defence system for thePersian Gulf coast, deliveries of radio-electronic equipment, modernisationof air defence equipment that has been previously delivered to Iran,deliveries of small weapons and munition”, he added.
[image: An Iranian military truck carries a Bavar-373 air defence missilesystem during the Army Day parade in Tehran on April 18, 2015]
Although the current Russian-Iranian defence cooperation agreement has beenin place since 2001, cooperation with Tehran is restricted by the UNSecurity Council’s Resolution 2231 and a Russian presidential decree,issued on 11 March 2016.
Bloomberg reported earlier this year Moscow had refused to sell Tehran itsS-400link airdefence systems due to the sanctions issue. According to the agency, Russiaconsidered this decision to be too risky, as it could escalate tensionsin the region. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, however, refuted the report,saying the country had no plans to purchase the air defence systems.
Shugayev, in turn, noted that Russia is ready to deliver S-400 air defencesystems to Iran,linkbutthe Islamic Republic hadn’t requested them yet, Sputnik has reported.