Iran gets missiles of Russia’s S-300 air defense system

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Iran has received the first batch of missiles of Russia’s S-300 air defense system, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on July 18.

“The first batch of missiles of the S-300PMU2 has arrived in Iran. These systems will reinforce the air defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the news agency said in a statement.

Iran plans to place the air defense systems it has received from Russia on combat alert until the end of the current Iranian year ending on March 20, 2017, the news agency said.

It was reported in April this year that Russia had started the deliveries of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran. Some elements of these systems, in particular, radars, were demonstrated at a military parade in Tehran on July 17.

Russia signed a contract with Iran in 2007 for the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to the Islamic Republic. However, the contract’s fulfillment was suspended by UN Security Council Resolution No.1929 on June 9, 2010, which banned the transfer of modern armaments to Iran, including missiles and missile systems.

In April 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted Russia’s ban on the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Iran and in November that year the contract came into force.

As head of Russia’s state hi-tech corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov said, Russia will complete the deliveries of S-300 air defense missile systems until the end of this year.

The press office of Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport has not yet confirmed this information to TASS.