Mohammad-Reza Mohseni-Sani, told Majlis official news agency, ICANA, on Friday that Iran expects Russia not to support “unjust” UN Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The lawmaker, who is member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, added that the delivery of Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran is not against the UN sanctions imposed on the country and the issue can be resolved.
“Moscow must maintain its independence from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),” Mohseni-Sani said.
The lawmaker described Russian refusal to deliver the S-300 air defense system under the pretext that it would contravene the UN Security Council resolutions against Iran as a tactical move that could not “be an obstacle to the strong relations between the two countries (Russia and Iran).”
The remarks come as Chairman of the International Affairs Committee at Russia's State Duma Alexey Pushkov told reporters on Wednesday that Russia had not abandoned the S-300 deal, and there is room for fresh talks between Russian and Iranian defense officials about the case.
“Russia has never announced it would not ship S-300 anti-aircraft batteries to Iran,” he said.
In an interview with Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency on July 7, Chairman of the Russian Defense Ministry's Public Council Igor Korotchenko called on Moscow to sell the S-300 defense system to Iran, arguing that the move does not run counter to any UN mandates.
Earlier in July, Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Tehran’s 2011 complaint against Russia at the International Court of Justice over Moscow's refusal to ship the S-300 air defense systems to the Islamic Republic is under examination at the relevant international legal bodies.
Under a contract signed in 2007, Russia was required to provide Iran with at least five S-300 air-defense systems.
Russia has been refusing to deliver the system to Iran under the pretext that the system is covered by the fourth round of the UN Security Council resolutions against Iran.
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An Iranian lawmaker says delivery of Russia’s S-300 air defense system to Iran is a solvable problem, expressing hope that Moscow will finally fulfill its contractual obligation by delivering the system to Tehran.
News ID 182167
