Russia's decision to go ahead with the sale of the advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Iran has angered its critics in the West and alarmed the Israeli government in equal measure.
For some it has raised additional question-marks over the fate of any putative nuclear deal between Iran and the international community.
But more significantly it may also mark a renewed effort by Moscow to bolster its diplomatic profile in the Middle East.
The decision to sell the S-300 to Iran is not new, the contract goes back to at least the latter part of 2010.
But for a variety of reasons - concern about Iran's nuclear activities and with intense lobbying from Israel and the West - the Russians never went ahead and delivered the system.
It is not yet clear exactly which version of the S-300 will be sold to Iran.
It is no longer the most sophisticated of Russia's air defences, but it is nonetheless a highly capable system and much better than those the Israelis and Western air forces have faced in the region during recent campaigns.
Nuclear deal fears
Critics argue sophisticated air defences weaken the military threat against Iran, and thus weaken the pressure upon it to make and abide by a final nuclear deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment