Iran Signs Secret 500 Million Euro Missile Deal With Russia, Rebuilding Air Defense After 2025 Conflict

Iran Secret Missile Deal With Russia: Strategic Air Defense Pact

Iran has reportedly signed a confidential €500 million ($589 million) missile agreement with Russia, aimed at rebuilding its air defense capability after the 2025 conflict with Israel, according to reporting by the Financial Times.

Under the alleged pact, Russian defense exporters are to supply Tehran with 500 Verba man portable air defense systems and 2,500 associated 9M336 infrared-guided missiles over a three-year period from 2027 through 2029. Deliveries may begin earlier as part of phased implementation.

Rebuilding Air Defense After Conflict

The Verba missile system is a modern shoulder-fired air defense weapon capable of engaging low-altitude aircraft, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Its mobility allows ground forces to establish flexible air defense layers without reliance on fixed radar installations.

Iran’s air defense network suffered significant damage during a 12-day conflict with Israel in 2025, leaving gaps in its ability to counter aerial threats. Tehran’s reported push to acquire advanced shoulder-fired systems reflects a broader effort to restore layered defenses and deter future strikes.

Officials in Moscow and Tehran have not publicly confirmed the details of the agreement. Multiple outlets quoting leaked documents and industry sources describe the contract as confidential. Reuters noted the pact was negotiated between Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and representatives of Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics.

Strategic Implications

The secret nature of the deal highlights sensitivities around arms transfers in a region marked by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. The acquisition of thousands of advanced missiles capable of engaging low-altitude threats could complicate future operations by rival air forces and reshape aspects of regional air defense strategies.

While analysts caution that mobile man portable systems do not replace comprehensive integrated air defenses, they deepen Iran’s capacity to defend key assets without dependence on static systems, which were targeted in past conflicts. The deal also points to growing military ties between Tehran and Moscow, even as Western sanctions and diplomatic pressure remain in place.

What Comes Next

Deliveries under the pact are expected through the late 2020s, with phased shipments of equipment. Observers will monitor how the integration of these systems affects Iran’s broader air defense posture, particularly amid ongoing nuclear negotiations and shifting US military deployments in the Middle East.