Iranian-Russian S-300 deal is ‘symbolic’, Israeli expert says

The Iranian-Russian S-300 deal is “symbolic” and there is no need for “panic”, Israeli news website i24 yesterday reported analyst Alex Fishman saying.

“The S-300 missiles deal between Russia and Iran is today more of a symbolic rather than an actual threat,” Fishman said.

“While Israel was waging a campaign against the Iranian nuclear programme,” he said, “that deal not only symbolised the breaking of the embargo on Iran, but also, primarily, that Iran would be able to build fortifications to defend against a potential Israeli airstrike on its nuclear weapons facilities.”

He continued: “Today we are in a different position. The global embargo against Iran no longer exists, and it’s safe to assume that Israel, for all intents and purposes, has conceded attacking Iran in the near future.”

Fishman explained: “From Israel’s perspective, as long as these missiles remain on Iranian soil and don’t reach Syria or Lebanon, the weapons deal only has political implications. Russia is attempting to defy NATO and the West, while Iran has garnered another international achievement after signing the nuclear deal.”

“As of yet, the Russian foreign ministry has not approved the deal, which was originally signed in 2007 and again in 2015. The Iranian reports claiming that the deal has been implemented do not mean that it actually has been.”