Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Russia must fulfill its contractual commitment and deliver the S-300 missile system to Iran as the system is not subject to UN Security Council sanctions

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Russia must fulfill its contractual commitment and deliver the S-300 missile system to Iran as the system is not subject to UN Security Council sanctions.

Asked about the non-delivery of the Russian missiles by a lawmaker in the Iranian Majlis (Parliament) on Sunday, Salehi said that the issue was being pursued through diplomatic channels. “The Foreign Ministry has taken political and legal steps in parallel,” IRNA quoted him as saying.

Referring to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's decree prohibiting the delivery of the missile system to Iran, Salehi said, “Summoning the Russian envoy to the Foreign Ministry…and urging Iran's diplomats to discuss the issue with Russian counterparts were examples of those steps.”

“This issue will be followed until achieving a result and serving the country's interests. Foreign Ministry has also taken steps to use the capacity of Paris International Court [of Arbitration],” he said.

Salehi said that the Russians have tried to change Iran's mind about filing a lawsuit but Iran's Foreign Ministry will seriously pursue the matter with the help of other relevant bodies to reach a final result.

“The Russians thought that through the non-delivery of these missiles to Iran after President Barack Obama was elected…they could solve problems related to the [US] missile shield and also expand trade and nuclear ties [with Washington],” he said.