By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi on Monday denied reports that Tehran has purchased the S-300 system, an advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft missile, the English-language Press TV satellite channel reported.
“No such thing is correct,” Qashqavi told reporters in his weekly press conference.
Iran’s missile and technical capabilities are the outcome of a homegrown technology developed by Iranian scientists, Qashqavi said, adding that “this technology was recently demonstrated.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) completed military maneuvers in the Gulf called Payambar-e Azam 3 (Great Prophet 3) in mid July to improve combat readiness and capability. Iran successfully test fired new long-and medium-range missiles in the drills.
The drills were held shortly after Israel conducted an air maneuver over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece in early June in what was considered as preparation for a war with Iran.
The Sunday Telegraph reported on Sunday that U.S. intelligence believes the crisis in the Caucasus is likely to prompt Russia to sell the sophisticated system to Iran.
George Friedman, director of a leading private intelligence agency in the U.S., told the paper that the anti-aircraft system would effectively rule out Israeli air raids and “seriously complicate any U.S. aerial bombings.”
“This is a system that scares every Western air force,” the paper quoted a long-time Pentagon advisor Dan Goure as saying.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday called on the newly-appointed Iranian air force chief Brigadier General Hassan Shah-Safi to further enhance the fleet’s equipment.
The United States and its allies have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Iran has denied the U.S. charges and insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Earlier in August, Miqani, former commander of Iran’s air force, announced that the country had revamped its fighter jet fleet to fly 3,000 km without refueling.