An Iraqi diplomat revealed on Monday that Baghdad was negotiating with Russia to purchase its S-300 defense systems, reported the Sputnik news agency.
Iraq’s Ambassador to Iran Saad Jawad Qandil confirmed the talks.
“It is possible that Iraq will buy the systems,” Qandil said.
He said Iraqi-Russian relations were “very good”, stressing that Baghdad was keen on maintaining good ties with all neighboring countries.
Iraq is seeking to diversify its sources of weapons, he added, citing arms deals between Baghdad and Moscow, reported the German news agency (dpa).
Last week, Iraq’s Parliament Security and Defense Committee chairman, Mohammad Ridha, said Iraq and Russia had resumed talks on an agreement to purchase the S-300 systems.
Iraq has since 2017 been trying to purchase the systems from Moscow, but American threats to impose economic sanctions have hindered any negotiations.
The S-300 is a long-range surface-to-air missile system, initially designed in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s, and first deployed in 1979.
