Illustration: S-300 missile defense batteries
Illustration: S-300 missile defense batteriesReuters

According to the Reuters news agency, the Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday lifting a ban on the delivery of S-300 anti-missile rocket systems to Iran.

Russia said that it cancelled a contract to deliver the missile system to Iran in 2010, under pressure from the West following UN sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear weapons program. However, it said, now that six world powers and Tehran have reached an interim deal on curbing Iran's nuclear work, it is lifting the ban.

The advanced missiles would make it much more difficult to strike targets in Iran from the air. 

The Commander of Iran's Air Defense Forces, Farzad Ismail, said in early 2014 that the missile "Bawer" (Faith) made ​​in Iran, has reached the operational phase of development, and that it features more advanced capabilities than the S-300 Russian-made missile.

The S-300 is a long range surface-to-air missile – manufactured by the Russian firm Almaz – designed to intercept aircraft and cruise missiles, and its most advanced models can also target ballistic missiles.