Iran has agreed to a 500 million euro arms deal with Russia in one of its most significant moves to rebuild its air defense system destroyed during a brief conflict with Israel last year in which the US was involved.
According to a Financial Times report, Iran and Russia signed an arms deal in December last year, months after attacks destroyed its key air defense facilities.
The deal commits Moscow to supply 500 “Verba” man-portable launchers and 2,500 “9M336” missiles, according to leaked Russian documents cited by the FT and several people with knowledge of the deal.
The Verba, in particular, is gaining attention during the trade, as it is one of the most modern Russian air defense systems.
Under the €495 million Verba contract, the delivery of the launchers is scheduled in three tranches, starting from 2027 to 2029. According to the FT, citing a person familiar with the transaction, Russia may have delivered a smaller number of systems to Iran ahead of schedule.
The news comes as the United States continues to build up its military presence in the region, raising concerns about a possible wider conflict with Iran.
New talks between the United States and Iran will be held in Geneva on Thursday, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi confirmed, amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
How did Iran sign the deal with Russia?
According to the deal cited by the FT, Iran formally requested the weapons in July last year, days after its 12-day conflict with Israel in which three of the country’s key nuclear facilities were damaged by US intervention.
During that time, Tehran’s integrated air defense network suffered heavy blows, allowing Israel to quickly establish and maintain air superiority over major parts of Iran.
According to a former US official quoted by the FT, the deal would likely be seen by Moscow as a way to restore its ties with Iran after it allegedly failed to support its ally during the conflict.
“They want Iran to remain their partner. So even if they can’t react in the middle of a crisis, they will take care of the crisis to try to repair the relationship,” he said.
The Verba deal was concluded between Moscow and Tehran by the Kremlin’s state arms export agency Rosoboronexport and Moscow’s representative of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, known as MODAFL. Ruhollah Katebi, a MODAFL official based in Moscow, helped arrange the deal.
What is the Verba Air Defense System?
Verba is one of the most modern Russian air defense systems. It is a shoulder-launched, infrared-guided missile and is a man-portable air defense system. The Verba is produced by the state defense enterprise KBM and has been in service in Russia since 2014.
The Verba is capable of targeting cruise missiles, low-flying aircraft and drones.
It can be operated by small mobile teams, allowing ground forces to quickly create dispersed defenses without relying on fixed radar installations, which are more vulnerable to strikes.
