Russia Reportedly Freezes Delivery of S‑300 Surface-to-Air Missile System to Iran
According to a report out of Kuwait and multiple media sources in Israel, President Putin has ordered a freeze on the delivery of the S‑300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran due to Tehran not following through on commitments it had made earlier to the Kremlin to cease transferring certain types of sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel reportedly delivered evidence to Moscow that Iran had tried on multiple occasions to transfer SA-22 missiles to Hezbollah. This was corroborated by reports from Russian Air Force pilots flying over Syria and Lebanon that they were being tracked by anti-aircraft missiles emanating from Hezbollah-controlled territory along the Syria-Lebanon border.
This case highlights the complexities associated with a new era in Iranian global engagement, where the possibility of support for Iran equates also to support for the terrorist organizations that are, in turn, aided and abetted by Tehran. Although this example relates strictly to the military and defense sector, the same might be true — in various ways — with the financial sector and certainly with the export to Iran of dual-use equipment and technology.