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MOSCOW (BNS): Iran has started efforts to develop its own long-range anti-air missile systems in an effort to attain self-sufficiency in passive air defence, the country's Defence Minister has said.

“At present, Iran is on the path to designing long-range missiles used in passive air defense,” Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi was quoted as saying by Mehrnews.com.

The minister’s statement comes after Russia scrapped the $800 million deal to provide its S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran in the wake of United Nations slapping fresh sanctions on that country last month.

Vahidi, however, urged Russia to meet its commitment to deliver the S-300 missiles to Iran saying that the deal was between Tehran and Moscow and had nothing to do with the UN resolutions against Iran, the news report said.