PELURU BERPANDU S-300

Russia says Iran sanctions do not bar missile deal

By Dmitry Solovyov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that new U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program did not oblige Moscow to scrap a controversial deal to deliver surface-to-air missiles to Tehran.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow March 27, 2009. Russia's Foreign Ministry said that new U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program did not oblige Moscow to scrap a controversial deal to deliver surface-to-air missiles to Tehran. (REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin/Files)

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was also in talks on building more nuclear power plants in Iran in addition to the Bushehr site, due to open in August after years of delay. Such action would be sure to rile the West.

The U.N. Security Council's adoption -- with Kremlin support -- of a fourth round of sanctions against Iran on Wednesday raised fresh questions over the future of Russia's contract to sell S-300 missiles to Tehran, a foe of the United States and Israel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko spoke after the Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed Russian arms industry source as saying Moscow would freeze the S-300 contract because of the newly passed sanctions.

"The U.N. Security Council decision is binding for all countries and Russia is no exception," Interfax quoted the source as saying. "Naturally, the contract to deliver S-300 missile systems will be frozen."

But Nesterenko said that portable missile systems like shoulder-launched weapons were the only air defense weapons whose sale to Iran would be banned under the sanctions.

"Air defense weapons, with the exception of portable missile systems, are not included in the U.N. registry of conventional weapons which are mentioned by the resolution on Iran," he said.

The Security Council resolution bans the sale of missile systems listed in the United Nations Register on Conventional Arms. That register does not include the S-300 so the contract would not technically be banned.

iran jet pejuang pn dah ada..buat sendiri,russia support teknologi..msia klu buat jet pn tak guna..tak leh terbang pasal enjin hilang..orang atas makan kantau..har,har,har..klu tak makan camno pokcik nak kayo..har,har,har