Iran flaunts advanced S-300 air defense missiles

Iran displayed its advanced Russian-made S-300 air defense system, which could complicate an attack on its nuclear program.

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) displayed the country’s sophisticated Russian-made S-300 air defense system in central Tehran.

The public show in Tehran’s Baharestan Square near the Parliament building square exhibited different missile systems, including ballistic missiles, solid-fuel surface-to-surface Sejjil missiles and the liquid-fuel Ghadr.

The IRGC prepared the show for the annual Defense Week, marking the 37^th anniversary of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.

Iran has deployed the S-300 air defense system around its underground Fordo nuclear facility.

The S-300 is one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world, designed to intercept aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles.

Russia began delivering the missile defense system to Iran in 2016 under a contract signed in 2007. The delivery was postponed due to international sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program, which were lifted as part of the nuclear deal with the P5+1 world powers.

Israel expressed “grave concerns” regarding the Russian decision to sell the surface-to-air S-300 missiles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when the sale was announced in 2015 that it will “only encourage Iranian aggression in the region” and “further undermine the stability of the Middle East.”

Iranian deployment of the surface-to-air missiles makes an aerial attack on the country by the US or Israel a much more complex and dangerous task.

Former Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon has downplayed the S-300 capability to defend the Islamic Republic. “Any system that the opposing side [Iran] equips itself with poses a challenge. [However], any system created by man can be overcome by man, and I am glad we have an outstanding military industry,” he said in 2015.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff