Iran Defense Minister Confirms Receipt of Russian S-300 Systems

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan confirmed the delivery of the Russian-made S-300 air defense systems, noting that they were already partially deployed in the country, Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesman Seyed Hossein Naghavi Hosseini said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Hosseini, cited by the local Fars news agency, Dehghan made the statement about the receipt of S-300 air defense systems at the committee's meeting earlier on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, head of Russia's Rostec corporation Sergei Chemezov said that Russia is planning to complete the deliveries of the S-300 air defense systems to Iran by the end of 2016.

On April 11, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia had made the first contracted delivery of the S-300 systems as scheduled. Iran unveiled its first S-300 systems during an annual Army Day parade in mid-April.

The $900-million Moscow-Tehran contract to deliver five Russian S-300 systems to Iran was signed in 2007. It was suspended after the adoption of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran in mid-2010.

In April 2015, Russia resumed the talks on the S-300 deliveries following a framework agreement on the landmark deal ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear program.