By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States does not expectIran to receive a Russian air defence system this year, aPentagon official said on Tuesday of the shield that would makeany strike on Tehran's nuclear sites more difficult
Eric Edelman, the Pentagon's undersecretary for policy, wasresponding to questions at a Senate hearing about reports thatIran would soon acquire an advanced Russian anti-aircraftmissile system.
"To the best of my knowledge, I don't believe we think themissiles referred to ... are in fact slated for delivery by theend of this year," Edelman told the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee.
"But it is something that we are watching very closely," hesaid. "It is a very serious capability that would be a concernto us as well as others in the region."
Western and Israeli experts have said that if Tehranacquired the S-300 missile batteries, it would make any strikeby Israel or the United States on Iran's nuclear sites tougher.The system is also known in the West as the SA-20.
The United States and others accuse Iran of seeking tobuild nuclear weapons under cover of its nuclear energyprogram. Tehran rejects the charge.
The nuclear dispute and hostile rhetoric have fedspeculation especially in global financial markets that therisk of a confrontation between Iran and the United States orIsrael was growing.
The United States and Israel have not ruled out militaryaction if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute.
There have been conflicting reports about whether Iran wasbuying the S-300 system.
Iran's Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said lastyear Russia had agreed to deliver the missiles to Iran under asigned contract. But Iran's foreign ministry denied earlierthis month that Iran had bought the system.
"Unfortunately, Russia has provided a lot of conventionalmilitary support to Iran. In general, I don't think that hasbeen as helpful as ... some of their diplomatic efforts havebeen," Edelman said.
At the same hearing, Assistant Secretary of State Dan Friedsaid that Russia had been a constructive partner in diplomaticefforts -- unsuccessful so far -- to pressure Iran to suspendits nuclear enrichment program.
Fried said the United States hoped to continue this workwith Russia despite tensions over its war with Georgia. But, hesaid, Washington would not give up its support for Georgia'sterritorial integrity in order to keep Moscow working on theIranian nuclear challenge.
"It's certainly seems to be in Russia's interest to workwith us, because a nuclear armed Iran would be a threat tothem," Fried said.
"We are going to try to work with the Russians in areaswhere we have common interests," he said, but added, "I cannotimagine circumstances where we would bargain away the rights ofsovereign countries for the privilege of working with theRussians in areas of common interest."
(Editing by Kristin Roberts and Jackie Frank)
