MOSCOW, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia has delivered the Tor-M1 missile defense system to Iran under a deal signed in 2005, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Tuesday.

    "We have delivered modern short-range Tor-M1 air defense systems to Iran," Ivanov was quoted by the Interfax news agency assaying.

    "We are developing our cooperation with Iran based on the provisions of international law and if Iran needs to procure defense weapons, we are ready for such cooperation," he said.

    Moscow cut a 1-billion-U.S.-dollar deal with Tehran in November2005 to supply it with Tor-M1 missiles. Russian officials described the missiles as air defense systems that are used only to bring down aircraft and guided missiles at low altitudes but cannot strike ground targets.

    Interfax said Tor-M1 is capable of simultaneously tracing up to48 targets and firing at two targets flying at altitudes ranging from 20 to 6,000 meters.