Azerbaijan , Baku, Sept. 28/Trend D.Khatinoglu/
Russia returned to Iran a prepayment that it received for S-300 surface-to-air missile systems , IRNA reported quoting Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying.
Vahidi stated that the country also 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.
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."
In June 2010, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1929, imposing restrictions on the supply to Iran of 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.
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.