Iran installs state-of-the-art defence system

IRAN HAS reportedly placed a sophisticated, Russian-made air defence system around an underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow.

The S-300, capable of intercepting airborne targets up to 150 miles away, has traditionally been seen as a significant obstacle facing any country attempting an air strike on Iran’s nuclear installations.

In 2010, Russia agreed to suspend the supply of the system as part of the international pressure on Iran to limit its nuclear development, but in April 2015 the Kremlin announced that it was scrapping the restriction.

Iranian state TV this week released footage of the defence system arriving at the nuclear plant.

The US State Department put out a statement saying that it was “concerned about the provision of the sale to Iran of sophisticated defence capabilities such as this S-300… we have long objected to the sale [to] Iran of these kinds of capabilities.”

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced last week that construction would begin on two new nuclear power plants, both to be built by Russia.

Although the Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry refused to comment on either development, analysts say that privately Israeli officials fear these events are another sign that Iran is using the time secured by the 2015 nuclear deal to build up its defences against any military attempt to end its nuclear programme.

Eldad Pardo, an Iran expert at the Hebrew University, said: “This is part of what the pessimists had been anticipating. Basically we have a period of Iran not enriching uranium, which is the main component of building nuclear weapons, but they were planning to [use the time] to improve their technology, conduct research and work on strategy.”

This is part of what pessimists have been expecting’