Iran asks Russia for air defense systems to prepare for war with Israel

Iran has requested modern air defense systems from Russia as it prepares for a possible war with Israel, and deliveries are already underway, The New York Times reports.

Source: NYT.

NYT: "Two Iranian officials familiar with the war planning, one of whom is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirmed that Iran had made the request and said Russia had begun delivering advanced radars and air defense equipment. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the aid publicly."

The publication writes that on August 5, a senior Russian security official, former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, visited Tehran. This comes as Iran prepares to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of a Hamas political leader on Iranian soil last week.

Shoigu met with Iran's new president, Massoud Peseshkian, the commander of the Iranian armed forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Bagheri, who is leading the planning of military strikes against Israel, and the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Shoigu's visit underscores the close alliance between Iran and Russia, which has been strengthened since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. Iran has provided Russia with military drones, and the two countries recently finalized an agreement to expand military and intelligence cooperation," the NYT emphasizes.

Iranian state television showed Shoigu and General Bagheri greeting each other, meeting face-to-face, and then participating in a broader meeting at the negotiating table with members of the Russian delegation and Iranian military officials.

"We are ready for full cooperation with Iran on regional issues," Shoigu said (quoted in Iranian state media - ed.).

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 06/08/2024