Report: Iran to sue Russia over botched missile deal
Tehran's news agency says Islamic Republic is seeking ICJ action against Moscow over breach of S-300 missiles contract
A senior Iranian diplomat said that Tehran has filed a lawsuit against Russia after the latter backed out of delivering anti-aircraft S-300 missile system to the Islamic Republic, Tehran's Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.
Iran's Ambassador to Russia Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi said that Tehran has filed a lawsuit against Russia with the International Court of Justice over Moscow's refusal to ship S-300 air defense systems to Tehran.
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"Legally, we believe the shipment of S-300 system is not subject to the UN Security Council resolution so we filed our lawsuit, hoping the International Court ruling would help Russia carry out the supplies," Sajjadi said.
Russia and Iran signed a contract that required Moscow to provide Tehran with at least five S-300 air-defense systems, back in 2007.
The deal was frowned upon by many in the West, causing Moscow to repeatedly delay the missiles' delivery, which it claimed might be subject to the UN Security Council resolutions against Iran.
In June 2010, the UN Security Council imposed yet another round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic, over its refusal to cease its nuclear efforts, which the West believes are military in nature.
In September 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree barring the sale of S-300 missile systems to Iran, citing Security Council restrictions.
Iran has criticized Russia's reasoning on several occasions, saying that since the UN resolution did not specifically ban the delivery of defensive missiles to Iran, Moscow was grasping at straws to renege on the deal.
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