New UN sanctions prevent Russia from delivering S-300 air-defense missiles to Iran, said a Kremlin official, in a reversal of the position announced by the Foreign Ministry.
A UN Security Council resolution passed Wednesday bans Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, investing in nuclear-related activities and buying certain types of heavy weapons.
The Kremlin official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday that the S-300 falls under these sanctions.
The UN resolution does not specifically prohibit Russia from supplying the S-300, a U.S. State Department spokesman said. "However, for the first time, the resolution calls for states to exercise vigilance and restraint in the sale or transfer of all other arms and related material," spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington. "We appreciate Russia's restraint in the transfer of the S-300 missile system to Iran."
This distinction may help explain the initial confusion.
On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said the UN resolution did not apply to air-defense systems, with the exception of shoulder-fired missiles.
In Paris, a French presidential aide said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday, said Russia had decided to "freeze the delivery of the S-300 missiles."
The aide quoted Putin as saying Iran was "very unhappy" and wanted to impose penalties on Moscow.
Russia signed a deal to sell the missiles in 2007 but has delayed their delivery.
President Dmitry Medvedev will issue a decree specifying which types of weapons cannot now be sold to Iran, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow.
(AP, Reuters)