Iran signs €500 mn missile deal with Russia to rebuild air defences

Iran has signed a nearly €500 million deal with Russia to buy portable air-defence missiles, aiming to quickly rebuild its weakened air shield after last year's conflict damaged key defence systems

Iran has struck a large weapons agreement with Russia to rebuild parts of its air-defence network that were badly damaged during last year’s conflict with Israel, according to a report by the Financial Times. The contract, worth about €500 million, focuses on portable missile systems that can quickly protect troops and sensitive sites from air attacks.

 

According to leaked Russian documents, the deal was finalised in Moscow in December. It includes the supply of hundreds of shoulder-fired launchers and thousands of missiles over the next three years.

 

What the deal includes

 

Under the agreement, Iran will receive about 500 Verba portable launch systems along with 2,500 9M336 missiles. The Verba is among Russia’s newer air-defence weapons and is designed to hit drones, cruise missiles and low-flying aircraft.

 

Unlike large radar-based defence systems, these launchers are operated by small mobile teams. This allows forces to create scattered and flexible protection instead of relying on fixed installations that can be easily targeted.

 

Documents show the deliveries are planned in stages between 2027 and 2029. However, a small number of units may already have been sent earlier, the news report said.

 

Leaked documents indicate each missile costs around €170,000, while launchers are priced at about €40,000. The package also includes hundreds of night-vision targeting devices.   

 

Why Iran wants these systems

 

Tehran asked for the systems soon after the brief but intense war last year, when the United States joined Israeli strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

 

During that conflict, Iran’s integrated air-defence network suffered heavy damage, enabling Israeli aircraft to operate freely over large parts of the country.

 

The news report quoted Ruslan Pukhov, a defence analyst in Moscow, as saying that the systems would not dramatically transform Iran’s military strength but could still complicate enemy operations.

 

He explained they would be particularly useful against helicopters and low-flying aircraft during surprise attacks.

 

Russia seeks to repair ties

 

Analysts say the agreement also reflects Moscow’s effort to maintain strong ties with Tehran after it did not intervene directly during the conflict.

 

They want to keep Iran as a strategic partner, a former US official said, adding that even if Russia stayed out of the fighting, it would later try to strengthen relations.

 

Evidence of deliveries

 

Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, recently indicated that military shipments were being implemented under existing agreements.

 

He said recent cargo flights from Russia showed defence deals between the two countries were now being put into action, though he did not give details.

 

Flight tracking data shows Russian cargo aircraft have made repeated trips to Iran in recent weeks. Reports also suggest Tehran received several Russian attack helicopters earlier this year, the Financial Times reported.

 

Wider strategic ties

 

The deal highlights ongoing military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow. Iran has supplied drones and missiles to Russia during Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and both countries signed a broader partnership treaty in 2025.

 

Nicole Grajewski of Sciences Po said the purchase reflects a change in Iran’s military planning after last year’s air-defence losses. Unlike large systems such as S-300 or S-400 batteries, portable launchers require less training and can be deployed quickly.

 

She noted that while the transfers will not allow Iran to match advanced Western militaries, they could make future conflicts longer and more difficult for attackers.