Russia cancels S-300 delivery to Iran

Russia cancels S-300 delivery to Iran

www.presstv.ir

Russia says it is determined to maintain solid defense ties with Iran, despite its decision to cancel the delivery of the S-300 missile system to the Islamic Republic.

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Denisov said Thursday that the country will continue to uphold its defense cooperation with Iran, but has no choice but to freeze the delivery of the S-300 air-defense missiles system to Iran “as it runs counter to the new round of UN Security Council sanctions on the country.”

(visit the link for the full news article)

It looks like this is one more step against Iran in the face of looming attacks by Israel. Had Iran obtained these weapons system, Israeli bombing raids on nuclear sites would have been extremely hard to pull of, if possible at all. What could this mean as far as Iran's future and the relative stability of the region?

Could this article be a ploy to deceive the west into believing that Iran is not armed already with the S-300, in an effort to not have the systems targeted right off the bat as well as have Russia come under heat for selling the weapons to Iran in the first place? I doubt it but I guess it is a possibility.

I'm afraid that the nails in Iran's coffin are getting more and more plenty. Surely, Iran has some kind of trick up its sleeve. I guess we can only wait and see.

--airspoon


www.presstv.ir
(visit the link for the full news article)

My first thought is the world might be a little bit safer. Then I also started considering the recent builder-berg meeting, and all the roomers being flung around that there will be a forth coming attack on Iran. I am not saying I think it will happen, I hope it will not. I mostly think the world should take note to what was said it news source,
that Russia will continue to uphold its defense cooperation with Iran.
That is enough to for me to make any one thinking of an unwarranted attack on Iran to think twice.

reply to post by airspoon


Interesting. At first blush it would appear that Russia is actually playing nicely with the UN. But given puppetmaster Putin's history, we should know better. Here are some interesting facts to consider:

"Vietnam has bought two S-300PMU-1 batteries (12 launchers) for nearly $300 million"
en.wikipedia.org...(missile)

According to the article cited by the OP, Russia was under contract to sell at least five S-300PMU1s to Iran, so we may deduce that this deal was worth, at a minimun, $750,000,000.

"The truck-mounted S-300PMU1, codenamed the SA-20 by NATO, can detect and shoot down any aircraft within a 120 km (75 miles) range."
www.presstv.ir...

"The next modernisation, called the S-300PMU (Russian C-300ПМУ, US DoD designation SA-10f) was introduced in 1992 for the export market and featured the upgraded 5V55U missile which still utilised the intermediate SARH terminal guidance method and smaller warhead of the 5V55R but increased the engagement envelope to give this missile roughly the same range and altitude capabilities as the newer 48N6 missile (max. range 150 km/93 mi). The radars were also upgraded, with the surveillance radar for the S-300PMU being designated 64N6 (BIG BIRD) and the illumination and guidance radar being designated 30N6-1 in the GRAU index."
en.wikipedia.org...(missile)

Russia has sold various versions of the S-300 to at least 12 other countries according to the Wikipedia link. Russia has also developed an updated system, the S-400:

"The S-400 Triumf (Russian С-400 «Триумф», formerly known as the S-300PMU-3/C-300ПМУ-3, NATO reporting name SA-21 GROWLER) was introduced in 1999 and features a new, much larger missile with 2 per TEL. The project has been encountering delays since its original announcement and deployment has only begun on a small scale in 2006. With an engagement range of up to 400 km (250 mi), depending on the missile variant used, and specifically designed to counter stealth it is by far the most advanced version. Little else is known about this version."
en.wikipedia.org...(missile)

Therefore, it would appear that Russia may simply be unloading excess and potentiallly outdated inventory. While a quarter of a billion dollars sounds like a lot, I do wonder if Russia has decided that the potential ramifications for breaching the UN sancions against Iran outweighs the relatively small return from the sale...

Edit to correct bad math and add S&F

[edit on 18-6-2010 by Yukitup]

And why does everyone think its an impending Israeli strike? There are numerous posts in ATS that explain why it is unfeasible for the Israeli air force to mount an effective strike against Iran.

If anyone will hit Iran, the US is the much more likely nation. There are US forces on two borders of Iran (Iraq and Afghanistan), and we have the military capability to hit all of Iran's nuclear sites that we know of.

Didn't Iran acquire several S300 systems years ago?

Not to mention, with all the other countries Russia's dealing arms with, they'll just provide the systems to Iran via proxy. Russia gets their money, Iran gets their system, and through it all Russia gets to say they played nice with the UN rules.

If anyone needed proof of a New world order this is it, and Russia is a part of it.
This leaves Iran wide-open to aerial attacks and right now there are a dozen more US warships steaming through the suez canal towards the Red sea.
While we're all worrying about the Gulf oil crisis Washington is running full speed ahead to attack Iran, institute Cap and Trade, give Obama a killswitch for the Internet and God knows what else.
Another crisis that will not be allowed to go waste I'm afraid. An attack on Iran would send the entire middle east into chaos. These idiots can't wait to start WW3. It makes me wonder if there are actual human beings in Washington anymore.