No third countries should take part in S-300 supplies to Iran - Russian diplomat

MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. Russia’s deal on the supplies of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran is a merely bilateral issue and no participation of third countries is needed here, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Friday. "The Russian president has made a decision on the possibility of S-300 supplies to Iran, and now the technical issue is being worked out. This is a merely bilateral issue and no participation of third countries is envisaged or needed," Ryabkov stressed. Russia’s Defence Ministry earlier said Moscow was ready to hand over to Tehran the modernized versions of S-300. Russia is currently working to upgrade the missile defence system in line with the Iranian side’s recommendations. The ministry said these missile systems may be delivered to Iran under the Russian presidential decree "immediately." Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on the S-300 supplies to Iran in April 2015 when six world powers confirmed significant progress after talks with Iran on the nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland. Under the 2007 contract, Moscow pledged to deliver to Tehran five battalions of medium-range air defence systems S-300 worth $800 million. Iran made an advance payment of $166.8 million. No supplies followed up to the middle of 2010. In September 2010, Russia’s then- president Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on measures to implement the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1929 of June 2010 to prohibit the supplies of S-300 to Iran. The contract was annulled and the advance payment returned to Iran. Read more