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Report: Iran likely to buy Russian and Chinese arms

Tehran will likely look to Russia and China to purchase advanced weapons when a UN arms embargo against the country expires next year, a senior defense intelligence official said Nov. 19.
A missile made by Revolutionary Guard is mounted on a Chinese helicopter during the 6th exhibition of aviation industry in Tehran, Iran, November 25, 2015. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA  ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - GF20000073553

Iran is likely to seek out Russia and China to purchase advanced weapons systems such as tanks and fighter jets when a United Nations arms embargo against the country expires next year, a senior defense intelligence official said today, amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

In a report released on Tuesday that unveils the Defense Department’s public assessment of Iran’s military capabilities, the Pentagon’s top intelligence agency expressed concern that “modern conventional capabilities” will be available to Tehran when the UN embargo expires in 2020, allowing the country to become “a more traditional military force.

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