Russian arms maker ready to supply S-300 missiles to Iran

MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. Russia's leading arms manufacturer Almaz-Antei is prepared to supply S-300 missile systems to Iran, the concern's director general said on Tuesday.

"All restrictions have been liftet. When we have a contract, we will supply S-300 [missiles] to the Republic of Iran," Yan Novikov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on the S-300 supplies to Iran in April 2015.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia’s voluntary embargo on deliveries of S-300 missile systems to Iran is no longer needed due to progress in the resolution of the situation around Iran’s nuclear program.

"Initially, the decision to suspend the implementation of the contract, which was already signed and came into force, was made in September 2010," he recalled. "It was done in the interests of support for consolidated efforts of the six international negotiators to stimulate a maximally constructive process of talks on settlement of the situation around Iran’s nuclear program."

The minister particularly stressed that "it was done absolutely voluntarily."

"Resolution 1929 of the Security Council, which was approved in 2010, just like any other UN resolutions did not impose any restrictions on deliveries of air defense weapons to Iran. I will emphasize, it was done in the spirit of goodwill to stimulate progress at the talks," he said.

Russia-Iran S-300 contract

Under the 2007 contract, Moscow was to deliver to Tehran five divisions of the missile systems of medium range worth over $800 million.

The Iranian side paid $166.8 million in advance. However, until mid-2010 the systems were not supplied to Iran.

In September 2010, then-President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on measures on implementing the UN Security Council’s resolution 1929 that in particular banned the S-300 supplies to Iran.

The contract was severed and the advance payment was sent back to the Islamic Republic.