Will S-300 systems be supplied to Iran via Belarus?

Officers of the Ministry of Defence of Israel have spread the information that Iran will have received Russian S-300 systems through Belarus by the end of 2008. It is reported by Jerusalem Post with reference to sources in the Ministry of Defence. This contract allows Russia, who is annoying the West with its nuclear cooperation with Iran, not to take part in it officially.

According to the newspaper, Iran has some S-300 systems. This complex is able to track 100 targets at once and fire on planes 120 km away.

According to Israeli experts, it will take a year for Iran to deploy the S-300s and man them with trained operator, Radio Svaboda reports.

Moscow in its turn denies the fact of a deal with Teheran. In the meanwhile, Robert Hewson, analyst and editor of the influential British military Janes Air-Launched Weapons, writes the deal was being conducted via Belarus to afford discretion for Russia, which is already under Western scrutiny for helping Iran build a major atomic reactor.

“Belarus is the proxy route whenever Russia wants to deny it is doing the sale. But nothing happens along that route without Moscow saying so," Hewson thinks.

Irani information agency IRNA has spread a statement of the minister of foreign affaires of Iran Mottaki

Ion which he said Teheran and Minsk had common interests and concerns on international issues.

The statement was made yesterday during the meeting with new Belarus’s ambassador to Teheran Viktar Rybak. According to the both officials, Iran and Belarus were going to expand solidarity with developing countries. It is also reported that the current value of joint Irani-Belarusian projects now stands at USD 1.9 billion.