Iranian Military Experts to Visit Russia for Tank Purchase: Commander


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Commander of Iran's Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced that a team of experts will be sent to Russia in the near future in a bid to buy Russian T-90 tanks.

“Our ties with Russia in the field of equipment supply are established, and we have on our agenda the purchase of T-90 tanks,” Pourdastan told reporters on Tuesday.

Iranian experts will make a trip to Russia to sign the related contracts with Russians, the Iranian commander stressed, adding, however, that no such contract has been signed yet.

“We will tap into the capacities of any country for the improvement of our capabilities,” Pourdastan asserted.

Iran and Russia in recent years have boosted their cooperation in various defense fields including the supply of military equipment. In the most recent case, Russia started delivering the S-300 missile defense system to Iran a couple of days ago years after the contract was signed between the two sides.

Back in October, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan highlighted the significance of defense collaborations between Tehran and Moscow, especially under the current circumstances in the region.

“The current situation necessitates that Iran and Russia, through the political wills of the two countries’ leaders, develop their cooperation in political, economic, and defense fields,” General Dehqan said at the time.

Earlier in January, Iran and Russia signed an agreement on defensive and military cooperation in Tehran. The document was signed by the defense ministers of the two countries after a meeting in Tehran.

The agreement calls for the expansion of military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.

It also includes provisions that entail closer cooperation on “maintenance of regional and international peace, security and stability, and the fight against various types of terrorism, separatism and extremism.”

Tehran has repeatedly stated that its military might is defensive in nature and poses no threat to other countries.