to sell S-300 antiaircraft missile systems to Iran. The agreement signed in 2007 allowed either party to exit the agreement in extenuating circumstances beyond their control, such as UN sanctions, in what is called a force majeure clause. Iran has announced it expects Russia to pay a penalty, however. Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said, “The aissue of damages has been covered in the agreement and we will proceed according to the agreement and protect our rights.” Russia has said it will refund Iran’s down-payment but not pay one kopeck more. The cancellation by Russia was surprising as the wording of the June UN sanctions was specifically crafted at Russia’s insistence to allow the S-300 sale, a point American negotiators admitted. Russian officials, however, at first insisted they canceled the sale because they had to under the UN sanctions. But recently, one Russian official backed away from that. “I want to say that in this situation, as in all other situations, Russia’s position is pro- Russian and not pro-Iranian, pro- American or some other one,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with the radio station Golos Rossii (Voice of Russia). He didn’t mention the UN sanctions.
