By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Russia's defense minister defended his country's sale of arms to Iran, saying in an interview published Monday that air defense missile systems it is delivering will not upset the regional balance of power.
Russia said on Friday that it had begun delivery of the Tor-M1 systems under a contract signed in December.
"Every country is allowed to deliver arms to another as long as it is not evading any sanctions in doing so," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying by the German weekly Der Spiegel.
"We are selling only a limited range of defensive weapons," he added. "The Tor-M1 air defense system, for example, has no influence on the balance of power in the region because it only has a range of up to 40 kilometers."
var cont = `Stay Informed
As the war against Hamas unfolds, our unwavering newsroom remains committed to covering Israel's most profound crisis.
Sign up for our newsletter to get real-time news and in-depth analysis from our top reporters.