Iran Defense Diplomacy Based On Détente: Dehqan

Tehran, Oct 29, IRNA – The defense diplomacy of President Hassan Rounahi’s government is based on détente and creating lasting security, Minister of Defense Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said Tuesday. Noting that Iran’s defense diplomacy has become more active, the minister added that several military delegations are to visit Iran in near future. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference on marine industries, Dehqan said by hosting military delegations from other countries, Iran is to develop and further activate its defense diplomacy aiming at creating more stability and security in the region. He added Iran’s defense and military diplomacy would help “remove misunderstandings and doubts.” The presence of foreign troops in the region has created insecurity, said the minister stressing that visit to Iran of several foreign military delegations would signal that “Tehran poses no threat to the regional states and there is no good in expansion of Iran-phobia among regional countries as this is the presence of foreign forces which brings insecurity.” Dehqan stressed that Iran’s new defense diplomacy would cause further trust and confidence between Tehran and regional countries. As to the agreement signed between Iran and Russia on purchase of some S-300 missile systems, the minister stressed that Moscow should be committed to the agreement and not postpone it on the pretext of anti-Iran sanctions. In 2007, Iran signed a contract worth $800 million to buy five Russian S300 missile defense systems. But the deal was scrapped in 2010 by the then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Iran filed a $4 billion lawsuit against Russia in the international arbitration court in Geneva, which is currently pending review. Moscow has struggled to have the lawsuit dropped, including by offering the Tor anti-aircraft systems as replacement, media reported in August, adding that the offer was rejected by Tehran. The Antei-2500, however, may be a better solution. The system does not formally fall under the existing sanctions against Iran while still being useful for the country./end