DM: Iran pursues delivery of S-300 missiles from Russia

Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Sunday that the country is still pursuing Russia's commitment on delivering S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

Vahidi had said earlier on Tuesday that there was no official news over the cancellation of delivery from Russia of S-300 missiles.

The S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, which is to be delivered to Iran according to a 2007 agreement, was developed as a system against aircraft and cruise missiles for Soviet Union's anti-air defense branch, but later variations were also developed to intercept ballistic missiles.

Russia has said that technical causes were the main reason for the delay in delivery, according to earlier reports of the official IRNA news agency.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Vahidi referred to the presence of NATO and U.S. troops in the region, saying that "lasting security will become a reality when cross-regional troops withdraw and do not interfere in domestic issues of other countries."

"We believe that regional security is closely related to collective security of regional states," ISNA quoted him as saying.

Source: Xinhua