".. A semiofficial Iranian news agency says Iran has obtained four S-300 surface-to-air missiles despite Russia's refusal to deliver them.The Fars news agency said Wednesday that Iran has obtained two missiles from Belarus and two others from another unspecified source.Russia signed a contract in 2007 to sell the missiles to Iran but said in June that new U.N. Security Council sanctions against Tehran prevent delivery. The sale would have substantially boosted the country's defense capacities, raising Israeli fears it would tip the military balance in the Middle East."
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Iran gets S300 from Belarus ...
AP:
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Back in 2008 Missile Analyst Sean O' Connor claimed that Belarus had sold Iran a small amount of S-300's. Seems he was correct.
Source: http://geimint.blogspot.com/2008/03/iran-and-s-300pt.html
As for the other "unspecified country"? Well my guess is Chavez acted as a middle man so Russia wouldn't get blamed. (Chavez recently signed a 2 Billion deal with Russia for tanks and S-300's)
Cannot be much countries that sold S-300 to Iran since only 12 countries in the world admit to owning them. They are:
- Russia (builds them)
- Bulgaria
- Belarus
- China
- Cyrpus
- India
- Kazakstan
- Syria (but they have the old model not these new S-300PT models)
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Vietnam (also older versions)
If you exclude Vietnam and Syria which have the older models and exclude India which would not sell to rival Iran. Bulgaria is in NATO/EU so not going to sell weapons to Iran against US sanctions.
Can also exclude Ukraine which is wary of Russia and moving close to the EU. China would be as unlikely as Russia to rock the boat.
That leaves.
- Cyprus.
- Kazakstan.
- Venezuela.
Only Venezuela would risk rocking the boat since Kazakstan is marginally pro US (with the Manas air base) and dealing with internal violence.
Since Chavez and Putin met on 19th September 2009 to agree the 2.2 billion arms deal I'd say Chavez is the "unspecified source".
See BBC: Chavez in 2 Billion arms deal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8253822.stm
Peace
Gonzolegend
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