Israel: Iran may share S-300 missiles with Hizballah and Syria

Moscow’s release of S-300 air defense missiles to Iran was the direct outcome of the nuclear talks taking place between the six world powers and Iran, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday night. “While Tehran divests itself of its commitments one by one, the international community has already begun lifting sanctions.” Israel is worried that Iran may share this advanced system, whose effective range against fighter jets, cruise and other surface missiles is 200 km, with the Syrian army and Hizballah.  US Secretary of State John Kerry protested that the S-300 in Iranian hands could endanger America’s allies in the Middle East. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov replied that the missile was a defensive system rather than a weapon of attack, and it therefore threatened no one, certainly not Israel.