According to The New Arab, Iraqi MPs have said that the country is looking to purchase an air defense system from one of the three selected countries: Russia, France or South Korea. Striking a deal with Moscow could possibly subject it to US sanctions.
Iraq announced on October 11 it will be purchasing new air defenses from one of three countries after the state allocated a budget for the missile system, The New Arab reports. Bader Al-Ziyadi, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, said in a press statement that this year’s budget would not cover the cost of new air defenses but that the country needs such a system. He said that Iraq could buy military equipment from Russia, France, or South Korea.
Hakim Al-Zamili, an Iraqi MP and a former head of the security and defense committee, previously told Russia Today that negotiations were taking place between Baghdad and Moscow on the possible purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system. Such a deal could subject Iraq to US sanctions though, as has happens to Turkey since it bought the S-400 air defense system.