Israel goes all-out to stop S-300 sale to Iran

Israel is reportedly set to send a top security official to Moscow to pressure Russia against the sale of an advanced anti-aircraft system to Iran.

The Israeli government will send the head of political military policy in the Israeli Defense Ministry, Major General Amos Gilad, to try to press the Kremlin not to supply Iran with S-300 missile defense systems, according to Haaretz.

Gilad is expected to meet with the Russian chief of staff, the head of intelligence as well as senior defense officials and diplomats.

The report reveals that the Iranian nuclear program has also been put on the agenda of talks to be held during the two-day Gilad visit to Moscow.

The visit comes shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert flew to Russia in October to dissuade Russian President Dmitry Medvedev from selling the S-300 system to Iran.

"We will remind them again of matters that trouble us greatly," Olmert said.

There is widespread speculation that Israel views the possible sale of the sophisticated S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Iran as a reason to expedite its preparations for a military attack on the country.

The advance version of the S-300 system, the S-300PMU1 (SA-20 Gargoyle), can intercept 100 ballistic missiles and aircraft at once, at low and high altitudes within a range of over 150 km. More