Iran's Defense Minister announced that despite the international pressure that was applied upon Russia to cancel, Putin decided to have the agreement: "There is no way to prevent his signature on the deal."Iran's Defense Minister General Hussein Dehghan stated today that the Islamic Republic is expected to sign a business deal related to S-300 missiles that will be sent from Russia already next week.
Dehghan added that even after international pressure upon Russia to cancel the agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to maintain the deal in any case: "There is no way to prevent his signature on the deal."
Last month, it was reported that Al Quds Commander General Qasem Soleimani met in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a senior level Russian source told Reuters that the two spoke about transferring S-300 missiles to Iran.
The Fox News Channel reported that the Iranian General met with senior level officials in the Kremlin. The meeting was held despite international limitations imposed upon Soleimani, as the UN Security Council declared that he is not permitted to leave Iran.
According to the report, which is based on a number of Western intelligence officials, on July 24, Soleimani relaxingly toured around to different meetings with senior level Kremlin officials in Moscow. Only a week before that, US Secretary of State John Kerry testified before a special committee, where he stressed that the deal with Iran won't change the sanctions imposed upon the Iranian general: "According to the US initiative, the sanctions imposed upon Soleimani won't be removed."
In addition to Putin, the Iranian general met with the Russian defense minister. According to the agreement signed between Iran and the world powers, the weapons embargo upon the country is only expected to be removed within five years.
The S-300 are advanced missiles that can be activated against planes from a distance, which can impose a threat upon airplanes in case the Israeli Air Force will attack enemy territory. In the past, Israel has expressed strong opposition towards the transfer of anti-aircraft systems to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad from where the system can reach into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
| A deal is one thing, delivery is quite another. |
| Making sure they stay switched on and operational when the IAF flies by is yet another thing... |
| Standard S-300's or the upgraded version 300.A2? |