Iran Secretly Purchased Verba MANPADS From Russia for $589 Million

Iran has signed a $589 million contract with Russia to purchase thousands of Verba man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).

Reuters reported the deal.

The document, signed in Moscow in December, provides for the supply of 500 Verba launchers and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.

Under the contract terms, deliveries are scheduled in three tranches between 2027 and 2029.

The agreement was concluded between Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Moscow office of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

Tehran formally requested the systems in July last year.

Iran already operates Soviet- and Russian-made air defense systems, including up to four S-300PMU2 divisions and up to 29 Tor missile launchers.

Verba MANPADS

The Verba (9K333) is a Russian man-portable air defense system designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at low altitudes.

It entered service in 2014. The system is equipped with a three-channel infrared seeker operating across multiple spectral ranges, designed to improve resistance to countermeasures and reduce vulnerability to heat decoys.

Specifications:

• Range: up to approximately 6–6.5 km
• Altitude: up to approximately 4–4.5 km
• Missile speed: about 600 meters per second
• Warhead: high-explosive fragmentation with contact and proximity fuses

Russian Weapons in Iran

Recent reports indicate that Iran may also receive Russian-made Mi-28NE attack helicopters ordered in 2023.

Several open-source materials suggest that the helicopters may have arrived in Iran. A video published online appears to show a Mi-28 flying over Tehran.

However, it is not possible to confirm that the footage was filmed in the Iranian capital.

The camera angle does not clearly identify the location, and the helicopter could belong to another operator, including Iraq or Algeria.

Earlier, in November, reports indicated that Iran had received Russian-made Spartak armored vehicles.