Russia stands by S-300 air defense missile system delivery to Iran

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister says his country has every intention of delivering the advanced S-300 air defense missile systems to the Islamic Republic. The Russian official warned against attempts in Israel and the US to politicize and, to some extent, demonize the nature of Russia's arms export to Iran. Faced with a looming threat against its enrichment infrastructure, Tehran has decided to acquire the sophisticated S-300, a mobile land-based system designed to detect and shoot down aircraft within a 120 km (75 miles) distance. Codenamed 'the SA-20 Gargoyle' by NATO, the system also features high jamming immunity and is capable of simultaneously engaging up to 100 targets. If delivered, SA-20 would make Iranian nuclear sites 'invincible' in the face of any attack, including aerial saturation bombings typical of Israel.