Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
Leaked Russian documents and sources familiar with the deal indicate that Iran formally requested the systems in July 2025, according to FT.
The request came shortly after a 12-day conflict in which Israeli strikes heavily degraded Tehran’s integrated air-defence network. During that campaign, Israel’s air force achieved air superiority over large parts of the country, highlighting Tehran’s urgent need to rapidly restore its capabilities.
The deal was handled by Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state agency for the export and import of defence-related products, technologies and services, and Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics.
The contract was negotiated by Moscow-based official Ruhollah Katebi, the publication noted. Katebi had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2024 for acting as a liaison between Russia and Iran on military sales.
According to documents reviewed by the FT, the 9M336 missiles are priced at €170,000 each, with launch units costing €40,000 apiece. The deal also includes 500 Mowgli-2 night-vision sights for low-light targeting. Deliveries are scheduled between 2027 and 2029, although some units may have been shipped earlier.
Recent flights from Russia to Iran reportedly included military cargo, with at least six Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters received in January.
The Verba is one of Russia’s most modern portable air-defence systems, capable of targeting low-flying aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. Operated by small mobile teams, it allows forces to deploy dispersed defences rapidly without relying on fixed radar installations, which are more vulnerable to attack.
Experts say the Verba systems, while not radically enhancing Iran’s overall military capability, could complicate low-altitude operations by the U.S., particularly those involving helicopters or drones.
Throughout the past two years, Iran has been supplying drones and missiles to Russia during the war in Ukraine, FT stated. The two countries also signed a treaty strengthening bilateral ties in January 2025.
Analysts say the arms agreement signals Tehran’s shift in strategy after the devastating impact of Israel’s attacks on its air defences last year.
Western powers, including the UK, France and Germany, have sanctioned arms exports to Iran amid growing concerns over its nuclear programme.
However, Russia’s willingness to supply the systems suggests it has no intention of observing these “snapback” sanctions, according to analysts.
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Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran to expect the “most intense day" of attacks so far. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history."
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of global concern as tensions rise following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has threatened to block the strategic waterway, raising fears of disruption to global oil shipments and energy markets.
Reports of so-called “acid clouds” moving from Iran towards Central Asia are not supported by scientific data, national hydrometeorological services in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan say, adding there is no threat to the region.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran to expect the “most intense day" of attacks so far. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history."
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of global concern as tensions rise following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has threatened to block the strategic waterway, raising fears of disruption to global oil shipments and energy markets.
Reports of so-called “acid clouds” moving from Iran towards Central Asia are not supported by scientific data, national hydrometeorological services in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan say, adding there is no threat to the region.
A senior delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has been holding meetings with Georgian government officials, opposition leaders and security authorities this week, as international observers attempt to gauge the country’s political climate following last year’s contentious elections.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told Masoud Pezeshkian, his Iranian counterpart, that violations of Turkish airspace by Iran could not be justified “for any reason whatsoever.”
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