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Russia to compensate Iran US$166,8M for canceling S-300 deal
Published: 07 October, 2010, 15:44
Edited: 17 October, 2010, 07:21
TAGS: Arms, Military, Scandal, Politics, Prime Time Russia, Iran
Russia and Iran have started negotiations over compensation for non-delivered S-300 air defense missile complexes, informs RIA Novosti. The contract was banned on September 22 by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The director of the Rostechnologii state corporation, Sergey Chemezov, said the compensation will be more than $166.8 million. He also stressed that Russia is “not obliged to pay back a single kopeck more.”
Chemezov earlier said that there could be two possible options for the pay off – either the money will be taken from the state’s budget or the S-300 complexes constructed for Iran could be sold to a third party, with part of the sum to be redirected to Iran.
The contract to deliver five S-300 systems to Iran was signed by the end of 2007. Russia has postponed the delivery several times due to technical problems. On June 2010, the UN introduced new sanctions against Iran which finally led to Russia refusing to hand the complexes over to Tehran.
According to Chemezov, the contact’s value is $800 million. However, the head of the Duma Committee for International Affairs, Konstatin Kosachev, earlier estimated the value of the deal at $1 billion.
According to the editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine in Russia, Igor Korotchenko, the losses of the Russian defense military complex will not be limited to compensation alone. Considering the $25 billion re-armament program adopted by the Iranian leadership for the next 25 years, Russia could lose $11-13 billion in forfeit and missed profit, let alone damage to its reputation.
However Viktor Litovkin, editor-in-chief of the Independent Military Review journal, said the sanctions were a force majeure that interfered with the deal, and Russia had no choice but to comply with the UN resolution.
“But we have to realize that the sanctions won’t last forever,” Litovkin added. “Returning the money won’t damage relations with Iran.”
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It's evident that the cancellation of the lucrative S-300 with Iran is not by choice or as result of UN sanctions. It is necessary for one to fully understand the backdrop of such a decision. Selling arms is a very profitable business to many countries, Russia being no exception. Military armaments export are a large cash cow for Russia who is trying to reestablish its importance as a world superpower. Supplying arms to the Mideast has been largely along two opposing fronts: the United States and her allies and the Muslim nations, by extension the Russian-bloc. Now, for the Russians to forgo the prospects of fortifying an (outcast) ally is clearly questionable. Apart from playing both sides, its apparent that the Russians were pressured into S-300 cancellation. But in lieu of their importance in the region and what else? Now for that we will have to call on the experts.
This story is CONFUSED: . The Down Payment for the S-300 system is 166.8 Million...But the RT video @ 0:48 seconds says that the Down Payment is 800 Million dollars (BUT this WRONG, the Down Payment is 166.8 Million)...So that means that Russia will CHEAT Iran out of 800 -166.8 = 633.2 Million dollars. . ALSO S-300 is only DEFENSIVE (not offensive), so it does NOT violate UN Sanctions!! . Russia is Cheating Iran . And If S-300 deal does violate UN sanctions, then just Refund Full 800 Million, without giving Iran the S-300!! . Russia does NOT have to Keep the full 800 Million in order to with hold the S-300 from Iran (Russia is just Cheating Iran...nothing more)
S-300 is a defensive device. If I was iranian, i will feel unsecure with the almost complete surroundig of my countrie by the USarmy .
The US propaganda aiming to build a casus belli against Iran in order to continue the state of permanent war to install the police state in America, will not help me to feel secure.
Due to his hig efficiency, the S-300 is an effective disuasive device.
Also I have no doubt that some apparatus may protect the S-300 to be used against russian forces