...

Experts: Delays in delivering S-300 to Iran - Russia's attempt to consider all pros and cons

Politics Materials 16 April 2010 11:51 (UTC +04:00)
Delay in supplying Iran with Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-300 is due to Russia's desire to consider its gains and losses in the fulfillment of its obligations, experts say.
Experts: Delays in delivering S-300 to Iran - Russia's attempt to consider all pros and cons

Azerbaijan, Baku, April 15 /Trend, T.Konyayeva/

Delay in supplying Iran with Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-300 is due to Russia's desire to consider its gains and losses in the fulfillment of its obligations, experts say.

"It's very clearly that Russians are somehow calculating their gains and losses in case they deliver S-300 to Iran. There is a lot of pressure on Russia. Russia is willing to consider its gains and losses in this issue, Jalil Roshandel, an American expert on weapons of mass destruction, told Trend. There is a lot of pressure on Russia. Russia is willing to consider its gains and losses in this issue."

In December 2005 Russia and Iran signed an agreement on deliveries of five missile systems S-300. The deal amounted to about $1 billion. However, later deliveries were frozen, as stated by the Russian side, for technical reasons.

Last week, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Mikhail Dmitriev again announced the suspension of the contract with Iran for the supply of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-300, noting that negotiations on the delivery are continuing, and contracts have not been broken. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also reiterated that Russia would fulfill a contract with Iran, after settling a number of issues.

Russian anti-aircraft missile system of medium-radius S-300 today is considered one of the most effective means of defense all sorts of facilities, military bases and command posts from the blows of all kinds of missiles, including ballistic and other means of air and space attack. S-300 is able to destroy modern aircraft and strategic missiles.

Roshandel believes that the delay is a direct result of international pressure on Russia.

"Possible cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in fact is one of the reasons because they see they have more interests to stay in good relations with the U.S. than simple selling some missiles to Iran," he said.

The situation for the supply of S-300 to Iran is now unfavorable, said Vladimir Yevseyev, senior fellow at the Center for International Security at the Institute for World Economy and International Relations of Russian Academy of Sciences.

"If Iran would agree to export certain part of low-enriched uranium, the situation would be fundamentally different," Yevseyev, a leading Russian analyst on Iran, told Trend in a telephone conversation.

In October 2009, the IAEA and the six international mediators on Iran (Russia, USA, China, Britain, France and Germany) offered Tehran to exchange country's low-enriched (up 3.5 percent) uranium to highly enriched (20 percent) fuel for a research reactor in Tehran, producing medical isotopes.

Iran has not rejected the proposal, but still puts forward various conditions, contrary to the originally proposed plan, as a result of which the parties can not agree on exchange.

Yevseyev added that currently for Russia it is logical not to supply S-300 at a time when the introduction of new sanctions against Iran is under discussions.

United States and several Western countries accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of civilian nuclear programs. Western countries are considering a decision to introduce energy sanctions against Iran in order to prevent the creation of nuclear weapons and suspend Iran's nuclear program.

Among other reasons for the suspension of S-300 deliveries, Yevseyev also mentioned Israel's reaction to the Russian-Iranian agreement. "It needs to consider that Israel very painfully react to this," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with the President and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin In February in Moscow. Israel and Western countries demand Russia not to supply Iran with air defense systems, since the presence of S-300 will strengthen Iran's position in the nuclear dialogue.

Israeli expert Meir Litvak believes that Russia may also fear that with this new weapon system, Iran may feel too self confident and that it may then pursue more aggressive policy in the region.

Moreover, according to him, "Russia wants to keep Iran dependent on it for as long as possible, and not allow Iran to go too far."

"This is also the reason why Russia continues to delay the opening of the Bushehr reactor," Professor at Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies Litvak told Trend.

He also noted that in the pas few months there has been several incidents that showed certain tensions between Russia and Iran, and "Russia probably wants to signal to Iran that there is a price to its conduct".

Nevertheless, according to Yevseyev, Russia wants to keep the opportunity to supply S-300, but given that Russia firmly informed the U.S. on completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, delivery of systems now would be a strong irritant fact.  

"It would be logical not to deliver S-300 until completion of the Bushehr project, he said. In any case, it is desirable to have a positive, because in a negative situation to deliver air defense systems would incur some opposition from the West."

If there are restrictions imposed by the Security Council on arms delivery to Iran, it could allow Russia not to supply, which maybe Russia is waiting, Yevseyev added.

Yevseyev also noted that if Russia supplies S-300 during consideration of the treaty on strategic offensive weapons in the U.S. Senate, perhaps, the ratification of the treaty in the Senate will be blocked.

Russian and U.S. presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama signed a bilateral treaty on strategic offensive weapons in Prague in early April. Term of the agreement is 10 years. At present, the U.S. Senate is expected to ratify the treaty.

Iranian parliamentarian Kazim Jalali said that the delay in the transfer of defense system S-300 to Iran is a kind of political game from Russia.

"In my opinion, this is rather a game than actually called technical reasons. Russia has no valid reason for delays in fulfilling its obligations," Iran's Parliament Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, Jalali told Trend over phone from Tehran.

He added that Iran has told Russian official representatives several times that the Iranian side is interested in developing relations with it.

"Such actions complicate the situation more and alienate the Iranian people from Russia. Russia should not create the conditions for such distancing," Jalali said.

If Russia does not fulfill its obligations, then, Iran will continue its own path and will not step back.
"We will use our own internal technologies, but we hope that Russia will still fulfills its obligations", Jalili said.

E.Ostapenko, U. Sadikhova and T. Jafarov contributed to the article.

Tags:
Latest

Latest