Ahmad Vahidi: contract for purchasing S-300 systems does not violate laws or international obligations of Iran and Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi lashed out at Russia Monday, October 11, over its refusal to see the two's S-300 missile systems deal through, saying it capitulated to Western power's attempts to disrupt Tehran-Moscow ties.

Russia already announced it would pay Iran about $800 million to compensate for faltering on the deal. The deal was nixed after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev outlawed the delivery of the high-precision missiles to Iran, saying that sending them would violate sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council in June.

"The contract for purchasing S-300 (missile defense) systems does not violate laws or the international obligations of either party and this has been explicitly included in the aforementioned contract," Brigadier General Vahidi told Iran's Press TV.

The Iranian official criticized Russia, saying that since Resolution 1929 does not specifically ban the delivery of defensive missiles, Moscow has no excuse for refusing to commit to the deal. "We believe that meeting commitments by regional countries can strengthen trust... and create a strong security bond that will help achieve common goals and interests," Ynetnews cited Vahidi as saying.