MOBILE DEVICES
Free Headline Alerts     
Worldwide Web WorldTribune.com

  breaking... 


Monday, November 16, 2009     FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Anxiety building in Iran over late delivery of Russian air defense system

NICOSIA — Iran is for the first time publicly expressing unease over the more than six-month delivery delay of the S-300 air defense system from Russia.   

A senior official said Russia's Rosoboronexport was to have delivered the S-300 to Iran by April 2009. The official said Iran has demanded answers from the Kremlin regarding the $1 billion contract.

"Why haven't they delivered the S-300 missiles?" Iranian Chief of Staff Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi asked. "More than six months have now passed since they were supposed to deliver them."


Also In This Edition

This marked the first time that Iran has reported the delivery schedule of the S-300 project by Russia. Senior Iranian officials and military commanders have become vocal over Moscow's failure to deliver the S-300, with a reported interception range of 120 kilometers.

"Russia has to fulfill the contract and not be influenced by Zionist pressure," Firouzabadi said on Nov. 13.

Moscow has acknowledged delays in the S-300 project. The Kremlin has reassured Teheran that the S-300 would be delivered, but did not say when.

"Don't Russian strategists realize Iran's geopolitical importance to their security?" Firouzabadi asked.

On Nov. 11, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Russia could be in violation of the S-300 contract. Vahidi said Moscow and Teheran signed a contract for the S-300, which he said has not been delivered. The contract was said to have included penalties of up to 40 percent.

"We don't think Russian officials would want to be seen in the world as contract violators," Vahidi said.

On Nov. 16, relations between Iran and Russia appeared further strained when Moscow announced another delay in the Bushehr nuclear reactor project.

Officials said Iran's $1 billion reactor, built by Russia and more than five years behind schedule, would not be ready for operations by 2010 because of unspecified technical difficulties.

"The launch will not happen by the end of the year," Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said.



About Us     l    Contact Us     l    Geostrategy-Direct.com     l    East-Asia-Intel.com
Copyright © 2009    East West Services, Inc.    All rights reserved.