Iran placed the request formally last year in July after the end of a 12-day conflict in which Israel, joined by the United States, hit three key nuclear facilities in Iran.
Iran signs secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to bolster defence system: Reports. (Pic: Rosoboronexport)
Iran and Russia have signed a secret €500 million arms deal involving the acquisition of thousands of advanced shoulder-fired missiles by Iran, the Financial Times reported. The deal was signed in Moscow in December last year, wherein Russia agreed to deliver 500 man-portable Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
With the acquisition, Iran aims to rebuild air defences damaged during last year’s war with Israel.
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Iran placed the request formally last year in July after the end of a 12-day conflict in which Israel, joined by the United States, hit three key nuclear facilities in Iran.
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Deliveries will begin in 2027 and be delivered in three tranches through 2029.
Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms export agency, and the Moscow representative of Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) negotiated the deal between the two countries, reported FT.
However, the contract was arranged by Ruhollah Katebi, a Moscow-based MODAFL official who previously helped broker Iran’s sale of hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles for use in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Also, reports suggest that one Russian Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo plane made at least three runs from Mineralnye Vody in Russia’s northern Caucasus to the Iranian city of Karaj in the past eight days. At least one more Il-76 flew the same route in late December.
So far, Iran has received up to six Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters in January and operated one of them in Tehran this month, as per reports.
The FT further stated that Rosoboronexport is selling the 9M336 missiles at €170,000 per unit and the launch systems at €40,000 each.
The deal also includes 500 “Mowgli-2” night-vision sights designed to track aircraft and other targets in darkness, the report added.
The Verba is described as one of Russia’s most modern shoulder-fired, infrared-guided air defence systems, capable of targeting cruise missiles, low-flying aircraft, and drones.
Operated by small mobile teams, it allows forces to create dispersed defences without relying on fixed radar installations, which are more vulnerable to strikes, FT’s report said.
The Verba systems do not require extensive training or integration and can be deployed more quickly.
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