Iran receives first deliveries of S-400s from Russia

The New York Times, as cited by The Times of Israel on August 5, reported that Iranian officials claim Russia has started delivering advanced air defense and radar systems to Iran following Tehran’s request to the Kremlin

Local Iranian media have corroborated Tehran’s request, and two officials, including a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, have confirmed to The Times that these deliveries are underway. According to these Iranian sources, the equipment in question is likely the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, crafted by the Almaz-Antey concern. However, it should be noted that BulgarianMilitary.com has not independently verified that it is indeed the S-400 being supplied to Tehran by Moscow.

The Times article did not specify the exact equipment requested by Iran or what has been delivered so far. Iran does already possess Russian S-300 air defense systems, although Russia has since developed the more advanced S-400 system.

The events took place amid rising tensions in the Middle East, anticipating a potential Iranian retaliation against Israel following the alleged assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

Reportedly, on August 2, a Russian transport aircraft was observed landing at Tehran International Airport. The aircraft in question was an Il-76TD operated by Gelix Airlines, which is known for being used by Moscow for military deliveries under the guise of a civilian carrier, lacking any military insignia. It’s plausible that this flight marked the first delivery of the S-400 systems, despite lacking independent confirmation.