Israel lobbies Russia on Iranian arms sales

rock45

Active member
Israel lobbies Russia on Iranian arms sales


By Dan Williams
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has lobbied Russia to pull away from selling a strategic air-defense system to Iran but has received only vague assurances, Israeli defense sources said on Monday.
Last week Israel agreed to supply surveillance drones worth $50 million to Russia. The Israeli Haaretz newspaper said this followed a pledge by Moscow not to sell Iran the S-300, which could protect Iranian nuclear facilities against air strikes.
An Israeli defense official said he had no knowledge of such an undertaking by Russia in its talks with Israel on the matter. Moscow has given mixed messages on the prospects of Iran buying S-300s, a deal one Russian newspaper valued at $800 million.
A recently retired Israeli official informed about bilateral security talks with Russia said that while Israel has made clear its objections about Iran receiving S-300s, "the Russians don't make promises of this kind."
"The most we have at this point is a vague assurance that the deal is not going ahead," the ex-official said. "But that could change at any time, and one of the relevant factors is Israel's policies on Iran."
Assumed to have the region's only atomic arsenal, Israel supports U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to deny Iran the means of making a bomb. But Israel has hinted it could resort to force in a standoff that has often pitted Western powers against Russia.
Iran denies its nuclear program has military designs and has found support in Moscow, which is supplying the Iranian reactor at Bushehr. Like China, Russia was a reluctant backer of U.N. sanctions designed to curb Iran's uranium enrichment, a process that can produce weapons-grade fuel.
An industry source familiar with the decision by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries to supply Russia with three types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) said Moscow's interest had been piqued during last year's border war with Georgia, a U.S. ally whose forces used Israeli-supplied drones.
By bringing Russia into its circle of foreign UAV clients, Israel hoped to bury any ill-will over the Georgian conflict and win scope to apply pressure over Iran, the industry source said.
"What was our alternative, to say no to the Russian request for our drones? The thinking was: let's go ahead and sell, and then try to gain sympathy on the S-300 issue," the source said.
Known in the West as the SA-20, the most advanced version of the S-300 can fire at multiple targets up to 150 km (90 miles) away and can travel at more than 2 km (1 mile) per second.
(Editing by Robert Woodward)


Link
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53C20P20090413
 
Give the guys in the Kremlin $$$ and they'll gladly be in your back pocket. Russia isn't going to lose one of their biggest customers (and a destabilising one for the US too) over some biatching Israeli lobbyists. Iran will get their S-300s, which is a defensive SAM system that means no harm to anyone except those intending to get into Iranian airspace uninvited. In fact, the missiles may already be in Iran.
 
Last edited:
Well, I guess the Russians might well say that if we upgrade and sell weapons to their enemies, like Georgia, there is no reason theys shouldent do the same...
 
Mixed

Still don't want Iran to have the S-300 it's dangerous if it fell into unstable control. Hello Lunatik
icon7.gif
you do realized if Iran really had the S-300 right on Turkey's border it could target your F-16s and many other interesting things it can be an offensive weapons as well. Imagine if they began locking up airline flights in Turkey? I'm not sure where Turkish or shared NATO bases are in Turkey but those to could be painted if in range.

Remember they still burn American flag and chant kill Americans while they shoot their AK-47s in the air, etc. Turkey is still an important American allied and a major part of NATO in that region for sure. Still want Iran to have this "defensive weapon" looking into your air space?
which is a defensive SAM system that means no harm to anyone
 
Remember they still burn American flag and chant kill Americans while they shoot their AK-47s in the air, etc.
Remember, that American earth - which is in the North America! Your soldiers are invaders on another's earth. Remember it, and understand it.
Turkey is still an important American allied and a major part of NATO in that region for sure.
:angel: But Iran is a very important importer Russian's arms! and therewith we build there Atomic power stations and we swing oil ! :cheers:
 
Last edited:
Hey Rock. :smil:

Even though I don't think there'll be an escalated stand-off (let alone war) between Iran and Turkey in the foreeseable future (as there hasn't been in centuries), I'm not saying nor advocating that Iran should weaponize. Surely, the S-300s would pose a threat. That's also what Greece has. It's part of the reason Turkey picked F-35 as it's new generation fighter to replace her ageing F-16s. I just hope the JSF will be able to take them out.
 
Hey Lunatik
Totally hear where your coming from and hope the F-35 deliverers.

Avksentii
But Iran is a very important importer Russian's arms! and therewith we build there Atomic power stations and we swing oil !
Russian will go down in history as main country that help Iran develop its future nuclear weapons program. Remember it, and understand it.
:cheers:
 
Russian will go down in history as main country that help Iran develop its future nuclear weapons program. Remember it, and understand it.
Each nation have (rights) privileges on the nuclear energy...and if to be fair on the nuclear weapons too, as is guarantee against expansion. World must be multipolar and then he becomes stability.
.... and in conclusion...nuclear weapons demand considerable technologies to enrichment of uranium which Russia does not give to Iran :idea:
 
Iran

Hi Avksentii
icon7.gif

Could they get the tech from other sources and use what Russia sold them? I know not everything the United States does is good, right, correct, user friendly, etc, but Iran? Those crazies are right on your border and your country is filled with non believers too?

My friend I hope you are right about the below?
icon5.gif

nuclear weapons demand considerable technologies to enrichment of uranium which Russia does not give to Iran
* Besides a few SAM systems Russia hasn't really sold much hardware to Iran lately. No major aircraft deals, no major tank deals, and no major naval deals, that I can remember off the top of my head.

A lot of rumors of Mig-29M, Mig-35, Mig-31E, and even Su-27/30s but nothing ever really came of it. I think 50 Russian jet engines were sold and assume some Mig-29 parts but nothing big. Correct me if I'm wrong and left something out. I thought Iran was switching over to Chinese gear for small arms and such?
 
Hi )
My friend I hope you are right about the below?
Those crazies are right on your border and your country is filled with non believers too - this is answer
But Russia cannot admit to attenuation of Iran on the world arena. And this have a lot of causes.
I thought Iran was switching over to Chinese gear for small arms and such?
Idea is not bad too.
* Besides a few SAM systems Russia hasn't really sold much hardware to Iran lately. No major aircraft deals, no major tank deals, and no major naval deals, that I can remember off the top of my head.
A lot of rumors of Mig-29M, Mig-35, Mig-31E, and even Su-27/30s but nothing ever really came of it. I think 50 Russian jet engines were sold and assume some Mig-29 parts but nothing big. Correct me if I'm wrong and left something out.
I do not see a problem :mrgreen:
I know this dispute are not bring in the consensus :bored:.

today_baghdad_.jpg

Pay attention to the signature on the tank ;) Here it the simple logic :))))
 
Last edited:
Back
Top