Russia to deliver anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran
The Associated Press reports that Russia has signed a contract to deliver a number of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. The S-300 is also known by it’s NATO nomenclature SA-10 Grumble and it’s the Russian equivalent to the Patriot missile system. Independent tests of the missile shows that it has a 90% accuracy rate with a range of 120 kilometers;
Moscow in April lifted a ban on selling the missile systems to Iran, ahead of Tehran sealing a final historic deal with world powers in July to curb its nuclear programme.
The decision sparked condemnation from Israel and concern from Washington, as it came before the lifting of the sanctions by the UN Security Council.
Russia argues that the missile system is exclusively defensive and does not even fall under the sanctions.
Moscow blocked deliveries of the surface-to-air missiles to Tehran in 2010 after the UN Security Council imposed the curbs on Iran over its nuclear programme barring hi-tech weapons sales.
Of course, we can fully expect that Iran will use the system to protect it’s nuclear facilities from an air attack when (not “if”) they bail on their agreement to abandon development of nuclear weapons. So are the missiles actually “defensive” if they are guarding against an interruption of their intent to wage nuclear war?
Category: Terror War
Russia: Want to hear a joke?
China: Yes.
Russia: Knock! Knock!
China: Who’s There?
Russia: President Obama.
China: HA HA HA HA HA HA
Russia: I love that one.
China: Me too.
(Credit to cartoonist Michael Ramirez)
World peace is closer.
Obama makes nonsensical and counterproductive foreign policy decisions because he has no idea what he’s doing and has surrounded himself with idiots with delusions of genius.
Why does Comrade Vlad do things like this? Apparently because he can. He’s the only leader of any current superpower that has any balls, and he seems to enjoy chaos.
“The decision sparked condemnation from Israel and concern from Washington” Of course it did. Obama would never actually make a statement of condemnation about Putin. First, he’s scared shitless of him and second he’s never had the balls to even call murdering terrorists what they are. Instead he turns the table to point out the “religion of peace” and the “peaceful Muslims” instead, whenever the subject is broached. Meanwhile he and Kerry are working on the talking points of how to downplay this into nothing more than Russia helping our new friends in Iran protect themselves from wayward, decommissioned satellites falling from orbit. So his concern about Russian anti-aircraft missile systems being essentially given to Iran is no more than, “How many days till I’m out of office? And will this push back my Tee Time today?” Worthless, ballless turd!
Guess Israel better get hot on turning that place into a crater. Sure as hell that Obambi won’t do shit.
This shift in more positive international relations with Iran is vital to any engagement strategy in dealing with ISIS.
Nothing in the agreement makes us any less able to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions than before the agreement, and we now have more touches for information and intelligence collection than we did before the agreement, and we have more leverage in the international community against Iran if they violate the agreement now that it is in place.
And most importantly it clears the way for better security cooperation and coordination against ISIS.
While Russia suspended sales in 2010 they have been providing Iran with air defense assets for decades, and would have soon resumed doing so or argued these systems are not covered by the sanctions. And US had sold them quite a few assets in the 80s and early 90s. Israelis have been selling Iran arms for decades as well. Even recently and even in violation of sanctions.
These systems do not significantly impact our ability to eliminate Iranian facilities if the decision is ever necessary to do so. Though that is an exceedingly unlikely event.
The agreement w/ Iran is a gambit which provides Iran with the financial means to accelerate its nuke-development and delivery program. That much is a certainty and the rest, including inspections with prior notice and, of course, Iran’s permission, rests on hope and trust. The fact that this questionable agreement was fashioned, in whole or part, by the Scrotum Shaver’s administration signals to me that it will work as well as the Arab Spring Fling Thing, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and obamacare have.
Oh. And I’m sure that the missiles weren’t purchased with newly liberated funds and I agree with Jonn that will not be installed to protect against an Israeli air attack aimed at destroying the nuke-development facilities that Iran will not have–at least anytime soon, that is.
Hey Jiffy-poo, we have no business making agreements with a regime that sponsors “Death to America” rallies, ’nuff said!