Iran To Renew S-300 Missile Systems Contract Next Week

Iran is expecting to renew a contract for the delivery of Russian S-300 missile defense systems by next week.

The necessary mechanisms to review and update the agreement are in place, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan was quoted as saying by Iran's IRNA news agency Tuesday.

Russia and Iran initially signed a deal on the delivery S-300s in 2007, but its implementation was halted by Moscow after the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Tehran over nuclear weapon concerns.

In April, Moscow lifted the ban on S-300 deliveries to Iran, shortly after the P5+1 group of international negotiators and the Islamic Republic reached a framework nuclear agreement. A final nuclear deal was reached in July.

The S-300 is a series of initially Soviet and later Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by NPO Almaz, based on the initial S-300P version.

The system was developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.