Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami stated that Tehran and Moscow have set a precise program to strengthen defense relations, after the arms embargo imposed on his country was lifted.

In an interview with Iranian TV, Hatami said that important discussions were held with the Russian side in the fields of regional and international cooperation and military relations.

The Iranian Minister of Defense confirmed that he was briefed on the most important Russian military achievements during his visit to Moscow.

Furthermore, he visited the International Military-Technical Forum “Jeremiah-2020” held in Russia, and discussed Iran’s preparations and creating an atmosphere for military cooperation after lifting the arms embargo on Tehran next October.

The Iranian defense chief was filmed inspecting the S-400 system, which is rumored to be one of the weapons that the Islamic Republic is interested in acquiring once the arms embargo expires in October.

The defense minister checked out the Kamov KA-226T utility helicopter, and reportedly made inquiries regarding the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter as well.

During his trip, Hatami held talks with senior Russian officials, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In addition, the minister met with Iranian Border Police forces which arrived in Russia to compete in the 6th International Army Games, which are being held concurrently with ARMY-2020.

Earlier this month, Breaking Defense speculated that recent joint US and Israeli F-35 drills aimed at improving survivability against “sophisticated enemy air defenses” may have been aimed in part to deal with the contingency of advanced Russian air defense systems being sold to Iran.

Last month, Kasem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, confirmed that Tehran was considering the purchase of Russian weapons to “enhance its defense capabilities,” and pointed to Moscow as a partner that has “always been by our side in times of trouble”. Jalali did not specify what sorts of defense equipment Tehran is interested in.

Source » almasdarnews