The
Telegraph reported the negotiations on Nov. 6, citing a senior Iranian
official. According to the official, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei,
sent his security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, to the Kremlin with a personal letter
for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. One of Tehran’s main demands was the
delivery of weapons, including air defense systems.
After meeting in Moscow, Rezaei said the two sides had
discussed key regional issues, the situation after the war and mechanisms for
ensuring regional security. Representatives of the two countries also discussed
construction of a new gas pipeline between Russia and Iran.
The S-400 talks contradict President Donald Trump’s claims
that Russia is providing no assistance to Iran, the newspaper noted.
According to The Telegraph, Tehran has already reached a
number of military cooperation agreements with Moscow. They could be part of
Iran’s long-term strategy to strengthen its defenses and preserve the Islamic
Republic amid its war with the United States and Israel.
The newspaper also reviewed confidential documents showing
that, before the war with the United States and Israel began in February,
Iranian security agencies had developed recommendations for ensuring the
country’s survival during a military confrontation. The recommendations
included deepening strategic and military ties with Russia and China, as well
as strengthening air defenses, missile systems and drones.
The need for Russian S-400s became especially urgent after
U.S. and Israeli strikes destroyed some of Iran’s air defense assets and
exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s airspace. Iran was unable to
adequately protect its military and nuclear facilities or its senior
leadership. Among those killed was former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The prospects for an agreement remain uncertain. Analysts
and regional officials said Moscow had promised Iran such systems for years but
had failed to fulfill those commitments. One reason may have been Russia’s
concerns about worsening relations with Israel and other Middle Eastern
countries.
Russia is also facing a shortage of air defense systems
because of continued Ukrainian drone and long-range missile attacks on oil
refineries, air bases and other targets. As a result, Moscow may not have
enough systems in reserve to provide to Tehran, the newspaper added.