TEHRAN: A senior Iranian military official complained publicly on Friday over Russia’s failure to deliver a missile defense system that Washington does not want Iran to have.
Moscow, which is under Western pressure to distance itself from Tehran, has not followed through on proposals to supply high-grade S300 air defense missiles to the Islamic state.
“We are unhappy with the Russian friends up north,” said Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces and a member of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
“Why don’t the defensive S300 missiles get permission to be sent for the purpose of Iran’s defense, as agreed between the two countries? It has been more than six months since they should have been delivered to Iran by Russia.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Russia last month for failing to provide the arms to Iran, which is at odds with the West over its nuclear and missile program.
Washington has sought specific pledges from Russia for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear energy program, which the West suspects is intended to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran denies any such intention.
