Russia offers Iran a new anti-aircraft missile system.
Russia has offered Iran its new Antey-2500 missiles, the head of the Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, said on Monday, according to media reports, after an agreement between the countries for the sale of the lower-powered S-300 missile was abandoned due to Western pressure.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has offered Iran its new Antey-2500 missiles, the head of Russia's state defense conglomerate Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, said on Monday, according to media reports, after an agreement between the countries for the sale of the lower-powered S-300 missile was abandoned due to Western pressure.
Chemezov said Tehran is currently considering the offer, according to the TASS news agency.
Russia canceled a contract to supply S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran in 2010 due to Western pressure, and Iran subsequently filed a lawsuit against Russia in Geneva seeking $4 billion in damages, but the two countries remain allies.
The United States and Israel pressured Russia to block the sale of the missiles, arguing that the weapons could be used to defend Iranian nuclear facilities from potential future air strikes.
There was no immediate response from Iran, Israel, or the United States to Chemezov's comments.