Russia rejects Germany’s criticism over S-300 delivery to Iran

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has rejected Germany’s criticism over Moscow’s recent decision to deliver S-300 missile systems to Iran.

An unnamed source at the ministry made the comments after German Chancellor Angela Merkel censured Russia for the planned delivery and called for lifting “sanctions [against Tehran] together,” Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Russian official said when United States and European Union member states, including Germany, imposed “illegitimate sanctions” on Iran, “neither Germany’s chancellor, nor any other Western leader recalled the need for acting together.”

“We cannot accept reproaches addressed to Russia over its decision to terminate the voluntary suspension of absolutely legal, not prohibited systems to Iran,” the diplomat noted, adding, “Such attitudes look still more strange against the background of Berlin’s obsession to follow in Washington’s footsteps to use unilateral restrictions as a foreign policy instrument.”

On April 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree, paving the way for the long-overdue delivery of the missile defense system to Iran.

On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov defended his country’s decision, stating that the move would not pose a threat to the security of any country in the Middle East as the Tel Aviv regime voiced “grave concerns” about the move.

President Putin discussed his move in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 14, telling him that Israel should not be worried about the “purely defensive” weapon.

Moscow had put a ban on the delivery of the system to Tehran in 2010 under the pretext that the agreement it signed with Iran in 2007 was covered by the fourth round of the United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. The resolution bars hi-tech weapons sales to the Islamic Republic.

Following Moscow’s refusal to deliver the system, Iran filed a complaint against the Russian arms firm, Rosoboronexport, with the International Court of Arbitration in Geneva.

Russia’s decision to lift the ban against the Islamic Republic comes after Iran and the P5+1 group of countries – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - reached a mutual understanding on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2. The two sides are now expected to start drafting a final inclusive deal by the end of June.

MR/HSN/SS

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