MOSCOW, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Russia may sell air defenses to Venezuela now that sanctions have blocked a planned sale to Iran, an arms trade expert said Friday.
Moscow signed a deal to deliver five battalions of S-300PMU-1 air defense systems to Iran in 2007 but canceled the deal in September after the U.N. Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions over the Iranian nuclear program, RIA Novosti reported.
"Russia is looking for a buyer of five battalions of S-300PMU-1 air defense systems ordered by Iran, which are worth $800 million, and Venezuela could become such a buyer," Igor Korotchenko, head of a think tank on the international arms trade, told RIA Novosti.
President Hugo Chavez, now visiting Russia, has said Venezuela was interested in purchasing Russian systems to create a multilayered air defense network.
Venezuela already has bought 12 Tor-M1 air defense systems, a number of ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns and Igla-S portable short-range air defense systems from Russia.
Korotchenko said that if the S-300 deal with Venezuela goes through, Caracas should pay cash, rather than take another loan from Russia.
