Russia does not rule out discussing with Iran deliveries of air defence assets and radio-electronic equipment to the country, as well as the creation of an integrated system of Persian Gulf security, Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation Director Dmitry Shugayev said.
Shugayev stressed that Russia acts strictly in compliance with international regulations, stating that defence cooperation on offensive arms with Tehran cannot be started before October 2020.
“Before the UN Security Council’s sanctions expire, we can discuss cooperation on the following issues: air defence assets deliveries, creation of an integrated surveillance, security and defence system for the Persian Gulf coast, deliveries of radio-electronic equipment, modernisation of air defence equipment that has been previously delivered to Iran, deliveries of small weapons and munition”, he added.
Although the current Russian-Iranian defence cooperation agreement has been in place since 2001, cooperation with Tehran is restricted by the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231 and a Russian presidential decree, issued on 11 March 2016.
Bloomberg reported earlier this year Moscow had refused to sell Tehran its S-400 air defence systems due to the sanctions issue. According to the agency, Russia considered this decision to be too risky, as it could escalate tensions in the region. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, however, refuted the report, saying the country had no plans to purchase the air defence systems.
Shugayev, in turn, noted that Russia is ready to deliver S-400 air defence systems to Iran, but the Islamic Republic hadn’t requested them yet.
