Iran urges Russia to stay committed to S-300 missile deal
Sept. 28 (Xinhua)
TEHRAN, -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that Russia has to stay committed to the S-300 missile deal, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Iran and Russia have already signed a contract on the missile deal and its content is quite transparent, so the two countries will have to stay committed to it and act based on it, Mehmanparast said.
Iran inked a deal with Russia to purchase the S-300 weaponry systems in 2007, however Russia delayed the missiles' delivery.
Russia has scrapped plans to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran as they fall under the U.N. sanctions, Russian Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov said last Wednesday.
Russia's action is based on the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929 which is illegal and unfair, the spokesman was quoted as saying in his weekly press briefing.
Further, the resolution does not include defensive weapons like S-300 missile system, he added.
In June, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its suspected nuclear program.
The S-300 is an advanced mobile missile system which can shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles from up to 150 km away.