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Iran: Russia’s S-300 dossier is still open

Politics Materials 7 October 2011 13:09 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan , Baku, Oct. 7 / Trend D.Khatinoglu/

The S-300 dossier (Iran's appeal against Russia) is still open, though Russia has returned the prepayment to Iran, IRNA reported quoting Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as saying on Friday.

Building long-ranged defense systems domestically are in Iran's agenda, but this does not mean that Russia should not undertake its commitments.

Iran demands Russia to pay compensation due to the fact that it refused to deliver S-300 missiles to Iran.

Iran has appealed to the International Court of Arbitration over Russia's refusal to implement a contract for the supply of the S-300 systems to Iran in early September.

In June 2010, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1929, imposing restrictions on supplying to Iran conventional weapons, including missiles and missile systems, tanks, attack helicopters, warplanes and ships .

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree banning the transfer of S-300 missiles, armored vehicles, combat aircrafts, helicopters and ships to Iran on Sept. 22, 2010. This is envisaged by a presidential decree on measures to implement UN Security Council resolution 1929 dated June 9, 2010. The contract to supply Iran with five battalions of S-300 PMU-1 was signed in late 2007. The deal amounted to $800 million.

On June 20, 2011, Head of Rosoboronexport Anatoly Isaikin allowed the possibility of resuming negotiations with Iran on the S-300 after lifting UN sanctions.

Rosoboronexport has turned out in a biggest financial loss over the last four years after returning a $167 million in prepayment to Iran for unfulfilled supply of S-300 air defense missile systems, Rosoboronexport Head Anatoliy Isaikin said in an interview with Kommersant Daily on Sept. 22.

"The unrealized delivery of S-300 to Iran has been the largest financial loss for our company [since the beginning of his leadership in 2007]," Isaikin said. "We owed Tehran the prepayment of $167 million."

The S-300, a series of Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems, were developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.

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