According to a report by Defence Security Asia on July 28, Iran conducted its first real combat test of the Russian-made S-400 air defense missile system in the Isfahan region.

Local residents observed a significant increase in radar signals and frequent movement of launch vehicles, indicating a system exercise simulating an enemy air attack.

Although the Iranian Ministry of Defense has not released any official statements or footage, open-source communities have confirmed that the system's characteristics match the S-400 through monitoring electromagnetic signals, radar behavior, and transportation vehicle trajectories.

This real combat test is believed to have changed the aerial strategic landscape in the Middle East and South Asia, and sent a strong signal to the United States and Israel.

Russian Air Defense System

It should be noted that previously, some media reported that Iran secretly received the Chinese HQ-9B air defense system.

Some Arab media claimed that Iran exchanged oil for missiles and obtained several sets of the HQ-9B.

Now it can be confirmed that it was a misunderstanding. What was found at that time should have been the S-400, but this also reveals something.

China's military trade in the Middle East has become increasingly active, and its image of not asking about political conditions, delivering quickly, and offering good value for money has deeply impressed people, making the outside world prepared for China supplying weapons to Iran.

Therefore, when some news spread but the model was not clearly confirmed, the public tended to assume it was the HQ-9B, rather than the S-400, which had been reported for years but had not been delivered yet.

This misreporting reflects the public's tendency to accept narratives they are willing to believe when information is not transparent, even if they lack verifiable evidence, as they seem more real than the Russian option, which has been talked about for a long time without delivery.

But in the end, no one expected that Russia, which had taken no action for so long, would actually deliver it this time.

Chinese Air Defense System

Since the Iran nuclear deal in 2016, Russia has repeatedly mentioned providing the S-400 to Iran, but delivery has been delayed for a long time. The reasons include geopolitical risks, economic interest considerations, and military control concerns.

Israel and the United States have vested interests in the airspace of Syria. Russia's operations in Syria require coordination with Israel to exchange for Israel not supporting Ukraine. Delivering the S-400 to Iran would severely limit Israel's freedom to conduct air strikes, thereby disrupting the fragile peace mechanism between Russia and Israel.

Additionally, the United States sees this as a major signal that Russia is clearly taking sides with Iran, which could lead to increased sanctions or military responses, such as stricter export controls.

Moreover, from Russia's own interests, the inventory of the S-400 system is limited, and the Ukrainian battlefield urgently needs it. Export priority is given to cash buyers, while Iran, due to economic sanctions, payment difficulties, and high political risks, is considered a low-profit, high-risk customer.

Russian and Iranian Flags

However, now, Russia's strategic environment has changed, so it has adjusted its previous policy of delay and decided to deliver a set of S-400 to Iran.

Firstly, the war in Ukraine has entered a prolonged phase, and Russia is increasingly relying on Iran's drone support.

The delivery of the S-400 is a realistic and mutually beneficial choice for military trade in exchange for assistance. Russia needs Iran to be deeply involved in the battlefield, and Iran needs hard air defense equipment for compensation.

Secondly, Iran has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed delivery of Su-35, and at the same time, Iran has shown strong interest in the J-10C. To maintain bilateral relations and avoid Iran completely turning to the Chinese military market, Russia chose to deliver the S-400 first as a strategic compensation.

Additionally, after the United States and Israel recently attacked Iran, it is now a good time to supplement Iran's air defense capabilities without worrying about angering the United States and Israel.

From the scale of the delivery, it can be seen that Russia has not deployed the system on a large scale in Iran. This limited delivery is cost-effective, and at the same time means that the strengthening of Iran's air defense system is not as significant as imagined.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7532340175255405056/

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