Iran may have sold its Bavar-373 air defence system and Khordad-3 anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria giving an indication that it plans to become a major arms exporter to regimes under sanctions or those unable to afford US or Russian arms.
While news of the two high-tech systems sale has not been revealed by either Iran or Syria; indications that a sale may have taken place came from a statement made by Iran’s Army spokesman Abu Fadl Shikaraji, “We have deployed some air defense systems to Syria at the request of the government in Damascus. The economic conditions do not allow us to provide everything free of charge to our allies and sometimes they have to pay for it,” he was quoted as saying in several Iranian media earlier this week.
Tehran had transferred to Damascus the Bavar-373 and Khordad-3 missile systems to increase the ability to respond to Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. While the transfer was confirmed from images appearing in the Syrian media and statements of senior Syrian officials, it was seen as a donation from Iran. However, it is now transpires that this could have been a sale.
The Bavar-373 is an Iranian-made long-range surface-to-air missile system (equivalent to the Russian made S-300- some report say the development was based on Russian technology) with an operational range of 50-75 kilometers.
The Khordad-3 air defense system was put into service by Iran in 2012, designed to engage fighters, cruise missiles, smart bombs, helicopters and airplanes.
It was the Khordad-3 system that shot down the US Global Hawk drone on June 20, 2019, over Iranian territorial waters. It is also claimed to have shot down several Israeli missiles fired from its F-35 and other warplanes.