Russia announced on November 9 that it will start deliveries of the S-300 air defense system to Iran by the end of 2016.  Sergey Chemesov, chief executive of the state-run Russian Technologies corporation, said that the contract between Russia and Iran for delivery of the S-300 surface-to-air missile complex had been signed.  The announcement ends a legal dispute between the two countries.  The sale was initially agreed to in 2007, but Russia blocked delivery of the system in 2010 in response to political pressure from the United States.  Iran had responded with a $4 billion legal claim against Rosoboronexport.