Iran signs €500 million arms deal with Russia to restore air defences, FT reports

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.

Aerial advantage

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.

Russia-Iran ties

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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