Why is Russia Selling Surface-to-Air Missiles to Iran?

Russian officials added a new twist to the nuclear talks with Iran when they announced yesterday that Russia would sell its S-300 missile system to Iran.  This sale (which will actually be barter, with Iran trading oil for the missiles and other Russian goods) raises new questions about a final nuclear agreement with Iran and possible side agreements on Iran’s missile program.

The S-300 is a sophisticated surface-to-air defensive missile system capable of hitting multiple targets at once.  Its missiles fly at altitudes as high as 16 miles.  It is believed that Iran wants this system to protect its nuclear sites from American and Israeli airstrikes.  It signed an $800 million contract to purchase S-300 systems from Russia in 2007. Until now, the United States and Israel had been able to stop this deal from going forward.

The transfer of the S-300 will complicate possible Israeli airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.   However, Ambassador John Bolton told Fox News today he did not think this system would have a significant effect on U.S. airstrikes against Iran.

The S-300 sale could indicate two possible side agreements in a final nuclear pact with Iran.

First, there are reports that all UN missile sanctions against Iran will be lifted as part of a final nuclear agreement.  If true, this would worsen a nuclear agreement with Iran by allowing Tehran to expand its ballistic missile program, an effort that experts believe is intended to produce nuclear nuclear weapon delivery vehicles capable of striking Israel, Europe and the United States.

Second, the sale of the S-300 may represent a secret agreement under which Western states and Russia have pledged to do everything possible to prevent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.  Although Obama officials condemned yesterday’s announcement about the S-300 sale, I believe it is possible they gave the Kremlin the green light to transfer these missiles to prevent Prime Minister Netanyahu from bombing Iranian nuclear facilities.

Whether or not the U.S. sanctioned the S-300 sale, this is a troubling development since it will embolden Iran to cheat on a nuclear agreement and is a sign that Russia is planning much closer relations with Iran.  This could include contracts to build nuclear reactors and other nuclear facilities that the Iranian government has been seeking.