Iran will buy Russian antiaircraft missiles, according to Moscow and Tehran news services. The deal is part of a $1 billion arms purchase that will cover improvements to Russian-made fighter jets operated by the Iranian Air Force, reports the New York Times. So much for Russian neutrality as it supposedly tries to help defuse the nuclear Iran issue.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.