An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin told Russian media on Thursday that delivery of the advanced S-300 anti-missile defense system to Iran is beginning.
Speaking to TASS news agency, the aide Vladimir Kozhin said "the contract is being implemented, deliveries of S-300s are starting."
In mid November Iran said it would receive the controversial shipment of advanced air defense systems by the end of the year, and late last month Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanai claimed the first deliveries had come in.
According to TASS the S-300PMU-2 configuration of the missile system is being shipped, which reportedly has a range of 195 kilometers.
S-300 is designed to intercept aircraft and cruise missiles, and its more advanced models such as the S-300PMU-2 can also take down up to medium range ballistic missiles.