MARKET STRUCTURE · REGULATORY · MIDDLE EAST
Iran buys Russian Verba MANPADS in €500m contract
Yahoo
23 Feb · 11:53 PM
Change
Iran signed a €500 million contract in Moscow in December for Russia to supply Verba MANPADS launchers and 9M336 missiles.
Why it matters
The contract reportedly covers 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 infrared-guided missiles, establishing a quantified replenishment path for Iran’s point air defenses. Deliveries are scheduled in three phases from 2027 through 2029, introducing a long-dated but concrete timeline that can affect force posture assumptions and counter-air planning. The system’s stated ability to engage low-flying aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones shifts the risk environment for platforms operating at low altitude near Iranian airspace and for unmanned systems. The agreement also formalizes a major Russia–Iran defense transfer that can trigger compliance exposure for logistics, finance, and intermediaries connected to procurement and shipment routes.
Implications
- • Low-altitude aircraft/drone ops face higher MANPADS threat density
- • Sanctions/interdiction risk rises for entities linked to Russia–Iran arms flows
- • Regional air-defense balance assumptions shift on a 2027–2029 timeline
- • Procurement/shipping routes tied to this contract become higher scrutiny nodes
Who is affected
- • Military aviation and drone operators in the Middle East theater
- • Defense planners and air-defense countermeasure suppliers
- • Sanctions compliance teams at shippers, insurers, and banks touching related trade
- • Russian and Iranian defense-industrial entities and intermediaries
Source
Read full article on Yahoo →
Topics
World & Politics Security & Defense Law & Public Safety Regulatory Actions Business & Markets Aerospace & Defense