Article Posted on : - Feb 25, 2010

A file photo of S-300 air defense systems of Russia.

MOSCOW (PTI): Russia will supply the S-300 Patriot class air defence missiles to Iran after some 'technical' issues are sorted out in the deal that is objected to by the US and Israel.

“The contract to sell the defence missiles to Iran was in place but some issues needed to be resolved. There is a contract and there are few things which need to be sorted out before fulfilling it," Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Russia is under intense pressure from Israel and US to scrap the deal, which poses a challenge to their possible pre-emptive strike at Iranian nuclear installations amid reports of Tehran working on its nuclear weapons programme.

Lavrov said Moscow is guided by principles laid down in its domestic laws and international obligations of not taking any steps which could jeopardise the stability in the region.

"All our arms deliveries are consonant with this principle and we expect other nations also to be guided by it, who not only supply defensive but also other weapons, which had killed our peacekeepers," Lavrov said in an obvious reference to the US and Israeli weapons used by Georgia in August 2008 to regain control over breakaway South Ossetia under protection of the CIS peacekeeping force.

Earlier, several top officials had indicated that a political clearance was required to begin the deliveries of S-300 missiles to Iran.

However, last week in New Delhi the deputy chief of the agency for foreign arms supplies said the issue was technical and deliveries would commence as soon as it is sorted out.