Iranian defence minister goes to Russia to sign new arms deals

Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani was set to arrive in Moscow on Monday to negotiate new weapons deals are believed to be worth about $300m a year.

Russian officials and Shamkhani also are expected to discuss planned U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, the Interfax news agency reported, quoting unidentified government officials.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said recently he and Shamkhani plan to sign a framework bilateral agreement on military co-operation, which would be "open and non­secret," according to Interfax.

Ivanov wouldn't say what specific arms deals may be concluded, but reasserted that Russia would strictly abide by international agreements banning proliferation of mass destruction weapons.

The United States and Israel repeatedly have voiced concern over Russia's ties with Iran, saying they could lead to the spread of weapons of mass destruction. U.S. officials have warned that a nuclear power plant Russia is building in Bushehr in southern Iran may help Tehran develop nuclear weapons and said that some Russian companies already had provided Iran with some missile know­how.

Russia and Iran have dismissed the allegations.

Russia agreed in March to provide Tehran with estimated S7bn worth of arms over the next years. Moscow says it would only supply defensive weapons.

Ivanov said last month Russia's weapons supplies to Iran are currently small and fulfil contracts signed during the Soviet times, or the early 1990s.

Interfax said the Iranians have expressed interest in buying a wide range of Russian weapons systems. They are especially interested in acquiring long­range S­300 air defence missiles to protect the Bushehr nuclear power plant and other strategic facilities, medium­range Buk M1 and Tor M1 air defense missiles and Su­27 fighter jets.

Iran also would like to buy supersonic Yakhont anti­ship missiles which have a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and Iskander­E tactical ground­to­ground missiles with a range of 280 kilometers (174 miles), as well as 550 BMP­3 armored infantry vehicles, the agency said.

Shamkhani was due to visit Russia in early September, but postponed his trip because it overlapped with a Moscow visit by Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.