Iran Shields Its Nuclear Activities by Russian Missiles

[Purveyor]

Source: Kommersant

Russia is preparing to sell to Iran anti-aircraft missile systems S-300, Iran’s defense minister said on Wednesday. This will be Russia’s second major contract with Iran on air defense systems in the recent years. Analysts say that Russia is thus countering plans of the United States for military interventions in the Middle East.
Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on Wednesday that the contract with Russia would deliver to Iran S-300 systems under a timetable to be announced soon. Russian arms trader Rosoboronexport and contract’s executor Antey-Almaz did not comment on the statement but did not refute it either. Sources of Kommersant said that Russia has agreed to sell to Iran five S-300PMU-1 complexes worth $800 million. A source in the military industry reported that the contract had not been signed yet but talks were in a final stage. He, however, said that S-300PMU-1 might as well be sold to Iran from the arsenal of the Russian armed forces after necessary updates.

Teheran hosted last week a session of the Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on military and technical cooperation where Mikhail Dmitriev, head of the Federal Military and Technical Cooperation Service, made it clear that Russia was set to carry on cooperating with Iran in this field and added that this was necessary to preserve balance of forces in the region.

Contacts between Russia and Iran in military and technical cooperation got a major boost in early 2004 when Teheran asked Moscow’s help in creating a missile defense system. Moscow suggested using S-300PMU-1 systems for defense of the capital city and four other regions including industrial center Isfahan, main naval base in Bander Abbas (the Persian Gulf), the nuclear plant in Bushehr and oil terminals in Abadan and Khorramshar.


Read more: http://www.kommersant.com:80/p840222/Iran_Air_Defense_S-300/

[blackspade]

1. Now this....

is some crazy shit!

I swear these neocons are the dumbest bunch ever when it comes to foreign policy.
Of course the Russians are going to counter our influence in the region.
The Bushistas have provided Russia with an EASY way back onto the 'superpower' trail.
Bush has put us in a near 'perfect storm' of international disaster.
Russia will bleed us dry with 'Vietnam' style conflicts which our current crop of leaders seem content to pursue.
China can cripple us economically if they decide the pain to themselves is worth it.
Terrorism worldwide will only increase now that small groups have figured out that the US will respond to provocation with devastating attacks that do little to stop or destroy terrorist groups but make us look like lunatics to the rest of the world.

[Purveyor]

2. Indeed, the USA is at one of its most perilous points in its history including all previous wars on

its own soil.

We are weak. Our economy is bust, our military is bust, our resources have little value to anyone outside our borders.

No, other than our 'planet destroying' nuclear weapons....we are indeed a 'paper tiger'.

Few within these borders can actually realize this...for now.

[Supersedeas]

3. Condi sure has used her expertise to develop US/Russia cooperation

[TheLastMohican]

4. You can't just go and threaten countless countries like a bully

You know Iraq, Yugoslavia, Iraq again.
This has got to stop somewhere since the UN charter was thrown out the window.

I am sure Russia is a drawing a line in the sand - this one you do not cross or else.
But 5 S-300s ? Is this a joke? They will not cover a major city the size of Isfahan, it is more a PR move than anything else.

[Name removed]

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