Will Russia Reinforce Iraq's Air Defenses?
... officials continuously denied these statements. Now, in light of the Israeli strikes, the Iraqi talks with Russia over reinforcement of its air defense systems is taking on new meaning in Iraq. However, if Baghdad is serious about purchasing Russian air defense systems, several issues should be considered. First and foremost, Iraq would have to pay an immense political cost, as Russian missiles are subject to US sanctions. The contract on the S-400 or even S-300 (both systems are produced by the company Almaz-Antey) may expose Iraq to such sanctions. That said, the threat of sanctions did not prevent China, Turkey or India from buying the weapons. Russia, in turn, should it sell defense systems ...