Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 2 /Trend S.Isayev, T. Jafarov/
In exchange with the West for no military action against Iran, Russia canceled the contract on providing Iran with S-300, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi said, ISNA reported.
"One of Russia's conditions to West was not to attack the nuclear facilities in Bushehr," he said. "That is why Russia has halted the delivery of s-300".
Under a contract signed in 2007, Russia was required to provide Iran with at least five S-300 air-defense systems. However, Moscow's continued delays in delivering the defense system drew criticism from the Islamic Republic on several occasions.
Russia has been refusing to deliver the system to Iran under the pretext that the system is covered by the fourth round of UN Security Council resolutions against Iran.
Iran then sued Russia for breach of the contract and made Moscow return its advance payment along with its interest fees in May.
Due to the export ban on S-300 exports to Iran, Russia lost about $1 billion dollars.
After Russia annulled the S-300 contract, Iran started making the advanced system domestically. Tehran's defense officials have announced that the early versions of the system will be unveiled as soon as next year.
Being influenced by the West and Israel Propaganda, and being Iran's neighbor, Russia feels the security risk for itself, regarding Islamic Republic's nuclear program, Sajjadi said.