BICOM

An Iranian news agency has reported that Tehran will soon take delivery of a second batch of Russia’s advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.

The Iranian Tasnim news agency says that the second batch of S-300s will be delivered “in the near future”. On Friday, Commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Air Defence Base, Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili, told reporters that the S-300 system will be made operational by March 2017.

Esmaili was speaking at a rally to mark Al-Quds Day, which has been observed in Iran on the last Friday of Ramadan since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran says that the day expresses support for the Palestinians and the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. However, it has invariably turned into a public demonstration of virulent opposition and threats towards Israel and its Western allies.

On Friday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani spoke to a crowd of tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” and burned an Israeli flag. Also marking Al-Quds Day, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei called on students to form a “unified anti-US and anti-Zionist front”.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami said: “Today, the grounds for the annihilation and collapse of the Zionist regime are more than ever.”

He added: “Hezbollah has 100,000 missiles that are ready to hit Israel to liberate the occupied Palestinian territories if the Zionist regime repeats its past mistakes.”

The first batch of S-300s was delivered to Iran in April. The sale represents a significant upgrade to Iran’s air defence system and sparked significant concern among Israeli leaders who warned Moscow that the S-300 in Iranian hands would merely increase tensions in the region. It is also widely thought that the S-300 will significantly complicate any potential military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Russia has insisted that the weaponry is designed purely for defensive purposes.