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Russia giving Iran only defensive weapon systems By The Associated Press MOSCOW - Russia's state arms export agency said yesterday it is supplying Iran with defensive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, but did not say whether they include sophisticated long-range S-300 missiles. Iranian media reported Sunday that Russia had begun supplying the S-300s - a course of action Israel and the United States have aggressively opposed. Advertisement Supplying the advanced missile systems to Iran would markedly change the military balance in the Middle East, and the issue has been the subject of intense speculation and diplomatic wrangling for months. Rosoboronexport said in a statement that "only weapons of a defensive nature are being supplied to Iran, including anti-aircraft weaponry." It added that, previously, Tor-M1 air-defense systems were supplied to Iran. "Russia is developing military-technical cooperation with Iran in strict compliance with its international commitments stemming from nonproliferation agreements. This cooperation cannot be a source of concern for third countries," the statement said. Rosoboronexport spokesman Vyacheslav Davydenko confirmed that S-300 missiles were considered defensive weapons, but refused to say whether they were being supplied to Tehran. Israel and the United States fear that, were Iran to possess S-300 missiles, it would use them to protect its nuclear facilities, including the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz or the country's first atomic power plant now under construction at Bushehr by Russian contractors. That would make any potential military strike on the Iranian facilities much more difficult. Israel, the United States and much of the international community believe Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its uranium enrichment program is intended solely for civilian energy needs. Bushehr is scheduled to go online early in 2009 after repeated delays. Russia, however, has sizable economic ties with Iran, including the $1 billion contract to build Bushehr, and it has worked to blunt efforts by Washington and others to impose tough U.N. sanctions on Tehran. In recent weeks, there have been conflicting official and unofficial statements about whether the S-300 deliveries would go forward. The Foreign Ministry said in October that Moscow wouldn't ship the missiles to "countries located in regions that are, to put it mildly, uneasy." An Israeli Defense Ministry envoy last week traveled to Moscow to urge Russia not to send the weapons, and Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told The Associated Press yesterday that Israel was concerned enough by Sunday's Iranian media report to ask Moscow about it. "We were reassured that the report was groundless. We were told that Russia is keeping their promise to [Prime Minister] Ehud Olmert that Russia wouldn't do anything to jeopardize Israel's security," Palmor told AP. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Caught on camera IDF soldier arrested for allegedly shooting gun while rioting with settlers in Hebron. Kadima's election ploy New computer game pokes fun at Netanyahu's reluctance to debate Livni.

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