In first, Iran publicly displays S-300 air defense missile system

By

The Associated Press

A Russian-made S-300 air defense system is on display for the annual Defense Week, marking the 37th anniversary of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 24, 2017. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard has displayed the country’s sophisticated Russian-made S-300 air defense system in central Tehran.

This is the first time that the S-300 air defense system has been displayed in public.

The public show in Tehran’s Baharestan square near the Parliament building square exhibited different missile systems, including ballistic missiles, solid-fuel surface-to-surface Sejjil missiles and the liquid-fuel Ghadr.

The Guard prepared the show for the annual Defense Week, marking the 37th anniversary of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed in August a bill imposing mandatory penalties on those involved in Iran’s controversial ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them.