TEHRAN — Mehdi Sanaei, a top advisor to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, says Iran has not placed an order to purchase S-400 missile systems from Russia.

In a TV interview on Friday evening, Sanaei said Iran and Russia enjoy close cooperation, which has led to Iran’s purchase of S-300 missile system from Russia.

He said it is claimed sometimes that the Russians did not sell their S-400 missile systems to Iran. “This is while we’ve never placed an order to buy the S-400,” added Sanaei, Iran’s former ambassador to Moscow.

Back in March 2017, the Iranian Armed Forces successfully tested S-300 surface-to-air missile defense systems, which Iran imported from Russia after a decade-long delay due to sanctions over its nuclear program.

Iranian experts conducted a number of tests on the Russian missile systems during the drills, which were held at the presence of several military and government officials in one of the country’s defense units.

The tests included all phases of performance, namely detection, identification, interception and target shooting.

Last year, Russia said it was ready to deliver its S-400 air defense missile systems to Iran but added that it had not yet received any official request from the Islamic Republic for such a sale.

“We are open for discussions on delivering S-400 Triumph air defense systems, including to Iran. Especially given that this equipment is not subject to restrictions outlined in UN Security Council’s resolution issued on June 20, 2015,” a representative of the press service of the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation said in July 2019.

In a report published on May 30, 2019, Bloomberg claimed Russia had rejected Iran’s request to buy S-400 missile defense systems, “concerned that the sale would stoke more tension” in West Asia.

But a Russian deputy prime minister later rejected the Bloomberg report.

MH/PA