Initially, the idea about AMD system in Poland and Check was launched as a defense against alleged Iranian threat to the west. In fact, many believe that that was a respond to intended Russian sell of S-300 to Iran. Now, if S-300 contact is frozen it seems as it was a part of a wider deal that also includes the US abandon of AMD. My opinion is that such a deal, if it really exists, could harm more Russia than US, as Russia's reputation is on the raising path on global international scale, while US's credibility is sharply declining due, among other things, to its blindfull and uncritical support to Israel.

Russia did not get US permission to sell S-300 to Iran. Is that the case ???

As there is a slight possibility that Iran might be attacked, the Russians does not want anyone to know that this costly system does not function that well. Ha ha. Otherwise it would have been a big opportunity for Russia to be bombarded with orders for this system.

A source in the Russian "arms trade"? Naturally, these "sources" are usefull in spreading rumors, and this kind of rumor at the moment may suit. After all, nobody knows how will US/Israel still react to the Iranian deal, and this is the time to put some "strategic ambiguity" into the air. Iran, as a regular participating party in the highest levels of SCO meetings is "in the know" when it comes to whatever positons are taken. It is hard to imagine that any move, real or a product of a rumor-machine, is not known in advance in Teheran.

The situation is simple: the Russians were afraid of Israel's threats (which most probably were real). It's obvious that it was a good deal for both countries, so why freeze it? As long as it doesn't mean a green light for the bombing of Iran, the deal should be taken up at some stage next year (indeed, as soon as possible, given the dangers there are)

October 22, 2009, 14:28, john rush wrote > Russia did not get US permission to sell S-300 to Iran. > Is that the case ??? Not entirely. I am sure that international opinion influenced this decision in some way, but regardless of what most Westerns seem to think, Russia does not want more countries to possess nuclear weaponry. North Korean and Iranian missiles still pose a threat to Russia.

As I mentioned before, beware the "source". The following is the OFFICIAL statement in response to the rumors by Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation. So much for speculation. "The Russian Federation implements and plans to further implement the military-technical cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in strict accordance with existing legislation and its international obligations."