Source: Mehr News Agency, Tehran

A senior Russian official said on Wednesday that the delivery of S-300 air defense missiles to Iran has been delayed for technical reasons.

"The delay is due to technical problems," said Alexander Fomin, deputy head of Russia''s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.

However, Fomin told the Interfax news agency that "the delivery will be carried out when they are resolved."

Fomin made the comments in an interview with Interfax while attending a defense exhibition in New Delhi, DefExpo India 2010, AFP reported.

The Kremlin''s powerful Security Council said Sunday that Russia sees no reason to stall on the sale of S-300 anti-aircraft systems to Iran.

Both Israel and the U.S. have pressed Moscow not to go ahead with the deal that may help protect Iran''s nuclear facilities from potential air strikes.

"There is a signed contract (to supply S-300 missiles) which we must implement, but deliveries have not started yet," Vladimir Nazarov, deputy secretary of Russia''s Security Council, told Interfax.

"This deal is not restricted by any international sanctions, because the talk is about deliveries of an exclusively defensive weapon," he said.

The S-300 missile is a mobile system designed to shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles.

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