Russia has delivered new anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran and will consider further requests by Teheran for defensive weapons, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said yesterday.

"We have supplied the modern short-range anti-aircraft systems TOR-M1 in accordance with our contracts," Ivanov told reporters. "Iran is not under sanctions and if it wants to buy defensive... equipment for its armed forces then why not?"

A defense ministry source later said deliveries of hardware under the $1 billion deal have not yet been completed.

Washington and Israel have criticised the contract to supply the TOR-M1 missiles to Iran, saying Teheran could use them against its neighbors.

source: China Daily/Agencies