MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Monday lifted a ban on supplying Iran with sophisticated S-300 air defence missile systems after Tehran struck a landmark framework deal with the West over its nuclear programme.
While Iran welcomed the development, it sparked strong condemnation from Israel and triggered concern in Washington.
A decree signed by Putin gave the go-ahead for "the shipment from Russia to Iran", ending Moscow's self-imposed ban on supplying the surface-to-air missiles to the Islamic republic.
The move comes before any sanctions have been lifted on Iran, with difficult technical talks potentially resuming next week following the April 2 deal with six world powers aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear drive.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted the missile deliveries were not covered by UN sanctions, and that the progress in the nuclear talks meant there was no longer any need for Russia to maintain the ban.
He said the missile system was "exclusively defensive" and did not pose a threat to Iran's foes.
While not the most sophisticated of Russia's missile systems, the S-300 would bolster Iran's defences against any attack on its nuclear sites.
Washington said US Secretary of State John Kerry had raised his concerns directly with Lavrov in an early morning phone call.
"We don't believe it's constructive at this time for Russia to move forward with it," said State Department acting spokeswoman Marie Harf.
"We think given Iran's destabilising actions in the region, in places like Yemen or Syria or Lebanon, that this isn't the time to be selling these kinds of system to them," Harf told reporters.
She added, however, that discussions between nuclear experts could resume next week aimed at resolving the technical details of the April 2 agreement.
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