Putin lifts ban from supplies of S-300 air defence missiles to Iran

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to lift the ban from the supplies of S-300 air defence missiles to Iran. "The decree cancels the ban from transit through Russia (including by air), transportation outside the territory of Russia to the Islamic Republic of Iran and also handover to the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the territory of Russia with the use of ships and aircraft flying the Russian state flag of the air defence missile systems S-300," the Kremlin’s press-service has said. The decree is effective immediately. It introduces amendments to the presidential decree of September 22, 2010 on measures for implementing the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1929 of June 9 2010. The sub-item concerning S-300 has been removed from it. The implementation of the Russian-Iranian contract of 2007 for supplying the S-300 complexes was suspended following the introduction of sanctions against Iran in September 2010. Tehran later protested that decision in court. Shortly after Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu visited Iran last January the US Department of State said that supplies of Russian air defence complexes to Iran would be unacceptable. In the meantime, Iran has repeatedly voiced the hope Russia would eventually agree to provide the launchers. The head of the Rostech corporation, Sergey Chemezov, on February 232 said that Russia had offered Tehran to buy the upgraded system Antey-2500 instead of S-300 and that Iran was still considering that option and remained undecided. The US Department of State said it had no objections to Russia’s alternative proposal to Iran. Read more