US intelligence fears the Kremlin will supply the S-300 system to Tehran if Washington pushes Nato membership for Georgia and Ukraine...

In the Telegraph, here

"...That would make it a "game-changer", greatly improving Iranian defences against any air strike on its nuclear sites, according to Pentagon adviser Dan Goure. "This is a system that scares every Western air force," he said.

Senior US intelligence operatives believe that Russia is planning to use a stand-off over the S-300 to create a foreign policy showdown that would test the mettle of a new US president. ..."

Dmitry Medvedev with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during their bilateral meeting in Dushanbe on August 28, 2008 Photo: AFP/GETTY