Russia begins 'first phase' of S-300 delivery

Iran says Tehran and Moscow have begun implementing a contract on Russia's delivery of S-300 missile defense systems to the Islamic Republic.  

"The first phase of the contract has completed the implementation course," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi-Ansari said during his weekly news conference in Tehran Monday.

"We hope that under the new plan, different phases of implementation will be completed to the end of the contract," he added.

Russia's delivery of the S-300 system under a USD 800-million deal signed in 2007 is already long behind time.  

Moscow cancelled the contract in 2010 under pressure from the West. President Vladimir Putin lifted that self-imposed ban in April 2015, after an interim agreement that paved the way for July's full nuclear deal with Iran.

Russia's agreement to provide Iran with S-300 has sparked worries in Israel which has repeatedly threatened to attack Tehran's nuclear facilities.

Ties with Saudi Arabia 

Jaberi-Ansari chided Saudi Arabia for opting to follow a confrontational policy with Iran after a nuclear agreement signed with the Islamic Republic. 

“Saudi Arabia is following a policy of moving against the clock which is an abortive policy and will not succeed,” he said.

"Saudi Arabia's stances, which are beyond its practical capacities, defy the international determination and implementation of agreements reached among various sides," the spokesman added.  

The official said Iran's top foreign policy priority is to bolster cooperation and connectivity with all its neighbors based on mutual interests.

“Iran will employ all capacities in its foreign policy to boost cooperation and interaction in political, economic, regional and international fields in order to resolve regional crises,” Jaberi-Ansari said.

Diplomatic visits to Iran

Jaberi-Ansari said Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will arrive in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest with top Iranian officials.

He also said that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and seven EU commissioners will pay a visit to the Iranian capital on April 16.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will also arrive in Tehran later on Monday to discuss the conflict in the Arab country.

Jaberi-Ansari said Iran has always supported efforts by the UN and its envoy to resolve the crisis in Syria, adding Tehran will continue its cooperation with de Mistura.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to the UN, at least 270,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Some reports, however, put the death toll at as high as 470,000.

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