The S-300 anti-aircraft systems that Moscow planned to deliver to Iran under agreements from 2007 are now completely dismantled and recycled, the head of the company producing the S-300 systems said.
“The equipment, which was intended for Iran, is no more,”
Vladislav Menshikov, CEO of air-defense systems manufacturer
Almaz-Antei, told RIA Novosti news agency. “We’ve dismantled
it completely. The individual elements, which could’ve been used,
were partially used. Partially, the utilization was
performed.”
“This is absolutely credible information,” he said.
According to Menshikov, the recycling of the Iran-bound S-300
systems was necessary as each contract is designed for a specific
buyer and "therefore, can’t be reoriented for some other
client.”
“The list of equipment is different here, the special
requirements are different and the software is different
too,” he said.
Moscow and Tehran have signed the $800 million deal in late 2007,
but three year after Russia decided not to ship the S-300 missile
systems to Iran.
The move followed a new batch of sanctions against Iran and its
nuclear program by the UN Security Council, which prohibited the
sale of modern weaponry to the country.
Moscow said the contract to supply the S-300 systems produced by
Almaz-Antei to Iran fell under the international restrictions.
Tehran reacted by filing a $4 billion lawsuit against Russian
weapon exporter Rosoboronexport to the International Court of
Arbitration in Geneva, Switzerland.
In June, media reports claimed that Russia had offered Iran to
replace the S-300s with the more capable Antey-2500 anti-aircraft
systems, but Tehran denied those reports.
This week Iran’s ambassador to Russia said that his country was
“ready to show flexibility” on the S-300 issue, but didn’t reveal
any further details.