Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan confirmed the receiving of Russian-built S-300 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, the Tasnim news agency has reported, referring to a source in the majlis (Iran’s parliament).
According to the source, at the latest session of the parliamentary defense and foreign policy committee, the defense minister “confirmed the reception of the Russian-made air defense systems and said that part of the systems had been placed at their home station.”
Tasnim reported on July 18 that the first batch of S-300PMU-2 (NATO reporting name: SA-20B Gargoyle) systems had arrived from Russia. In April, it reported the launch of the delivery of the SAM systems, which individual components, in particular the radars, had been displayed at a military parade in Tehran on April 17.
Russia and Iran made the S-300 contract in 2007. However, it was suspended due to the UN Security Council’s passage of Resolution 1929 on June 9, 2010, which banned the transfer of advanced weaponry, including missiles and missile systems, to Tehran. In April last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the embargo on exporting the S-300 to Iran, and the deal came into effect in November of the same year. According to Rostec Corp. Director General Sergei Chemezov, the S-300 delivery to Iran will have been completed before year-end.
