US Dismisses Israeli Report on Export of Russian Missiles to Iran

July 26, 2008
TEHRAN (FNA)-

Iran is not expected to receive an advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft system this year, the Pentagon said on Friday, an assessment at odds with a view expressed by Israeli officials earlier this week.

Experts say that if Tehran acquires and operates the S-300 missile batteries it would make any strike by Israel or the United States on Iran's nuclear facilities much more difficult.

Israeli defense sources said on Wednesday that Iran was set to receive the system, also known in the West as the SA-20, by the end of the year.

First delivery of the S-300 batteries was expected as soon as early September, one Israeli source said, though it could take six to 12 months for them to be deployed and operable.

But Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said, "We firmly believe, based upon our understanding of the situation, that the Iranians will not be receiving that Russian anti-aircraft system this year."

Morrell, who was responding to a query from Reuters, declined to elaborate on the reasons for the Pentagon's view.

His comments expanded on remarks by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said on July 9 that it was "highly unlikely that those air defense missiles would be in Iranian hands any time soon."

Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear warheads.

Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

US and Israeli threats against Iran sent oil prices to record highs earlier this month.

The best S-300 can track 100 targets at once and fire on planes 120 km (75 miles) away.

Analysts say any strike on Iran would pose significant military challenges in any case as it enjoys very powerful air defense systems and its nuclear sites are believed to be numerous, dispersed and fortified.

Washington alleges it wants a diplomatic solution to the row, but has not ruled out military action if that were to fail.

Both Washington and Tel Aviv have recently intensified threats against the Islamic Republic.

Speculation that Israel could bomb Iran has mounted since a big Israeli air drill last month.

In the first week of June, 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters reportedly took part in an exercise over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which was interpreted as a dress rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Tehran has vowed to strike back at Israel as well as US interests and military bases and shipping if it came under attack.

Tel Aviv and Washington's intensified threats to launch military action against Iran are in direct opposition to a recent report by 16 US intelligence bodies which endorsed the civilian nature of Iran's nuclear plans and activities.

Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar reports by the IAEA head - one in November and the other one in February - which praised Iran's truthfulness about key aspects of its past nuclear activities and announced settlement of outstanding issues with Tehran, any effort to impose further sanctions or launch military attack on Iran seems to be completely irrational.

The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, praised Iran's cooperation in clearing up all of the past questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran's nuclear program and leaving no justification for any new UN sanctions.

The UN nuclear watchdog has so far carried out at least 14 surprise inspections of Iran's nuclear sites, but found nothing to support the allegations.

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