Iran Relaunches Russian-Made Submarine Without Help

Iranian Navy commander Habibollah Sayari

Iran says it has managed to overhaul one of the three Russian-made submarines in its fleet, despite Moscow rejecting requests for plans and parts.

The Iranian Navy commander, Admiral Habibollah Sayari, said that one of three subs bought from Russia two decades ago had been repaired with various Iranian-made spare parts.

According to Sayari, Moscow requested that the repair be carried out in Russia, which Tehran rejected. Iran's relationship with Russia is largely based on military purchases.

However, disputes between the two nations have been occurring since 2006, when Moscow signed on to UN resolutions calling for Tehran to curb its disputed nuclear program.

In 2010, Russia backed out of a commitment to sell an advanced anti-aircraft missile system to Iran.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP