Safe Skies: Russia to Send First S-300 Air Defense System to Iran Thursday

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan will participate in a ceremony dedicated to the first delivery of the Russian S-300 air defense system to Iran via the Caspian Sea on February 18, a source told Sputnik Persian on Wednesday.

Dehghan is currently in Russia and will travel to Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea for the closed ceremony.

“Hossein Dehghan will participate in the ceremony of delivering the S-300 in Astrakhan on Thursday,” the source said.

Iran's General Staff confirmed to Sputnik on Wednesday that deliveries of Russian S-300 air defense systems would begin Thursday.

"Tomorrow, Russia will make the first S-300 delivery to Iran," Deputy Chief of Staff Mostafa Izadi said.

In 2007, Moscow and Tehran signed an $800-million deal for the delivery of five S-300 missile systems to Iran. In 2010, Russia suspended the contract, citing a UN Security Council resolution that placed an arms embargo on Tehran until it proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear project. Tehran filed a lawsuit against Moscow over the incident.

In April, Moscow repealed the S-300 delivery ban, after Iran and six global powers, including Russia, reached a framework nuclear agreement to remove the anti-Tehran sanctions in exchange for guarantees of the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.