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Specific dates of supplying S-300 to Iran undetermined yet — Kremlin

The spokesman did not elaborate whether the issue of S-300 supplies to Iran was discussed at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan

MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. Specific dates for supplying S-300 air defense systems to Iran have not been determined yet, because they have not been paid for, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"It is too early to mention any specific dates," Peskov said. "No deadlines have been set. There are problems with payments. They have not been paid for properly to this day."

Peskov did not elaborate whether the issue of S-300 supplies to Iran was discussed at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan.

"Various aspects of military-technical cooperation were touched upon," he said in response to a question from TASS if the supply of the air defense systems had been on the agenda.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday dismissed media reports the first batch of air defense systems S-300PMU-2 Favorit was due to be dispatched to Iran from Astrakhan on February 18.

Russia and Iran had signed a contract for the supply of five battalions of S-300 launchers back in 2007, but in the autumn of 2010 the then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev banned the deal. The $800-million contract was eventually annulled and the advance payment returned to Iran.

Tehran filed a law suit at a court of arbitration in Geneva demanding nearly $4 billion in compensation for Russia’s default on the contract. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said later that as a result of "prolonged, complicated and delicate negotiations" Russia managed to have the case closed.

In the spring of 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban from selling S-300 to Iran.