Responding to UN sanctions on Iran, Russia has reportedly reversed a 2007 decision to sell Russian-made S-300 air defense systems to Iran. The delivery was previously postponed.
"The repeated rumors and confusion regarding a possible sale indicate that Russian policymakers are divided over the issue," Richard Weitz wrote in his March 2009 WPR column, "Russia, Iran, Washington Battle Over S-300s." "It also illustrates the degree of mistrust between the Russian and Iranian national security communities over the subject of bilateral arms transfers in general, and disagreement over the extent to which Moscow should support Iranian defense aspirations over American and Israeli objections in particular."