U.S. and Israel Oppose Lifting Ban on S-300 Delivery to Iran

The United States and Israel have expressed their opposition to Russia's decision to lift the ban on the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Iran. According to the Associated Press, Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, stated that John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, raised U.S. concerns during a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Monday, April 13. Earnest added that the U.S. believes this Russian decision "could jeopardize plans for the ultimate lifting of sanctions against Iran as part of a final nuclear agreement." He emphasized that "cooperation and unity with countries like Russia is important for the success of the nuclear negotiations." Earnest also mentioned that Russia's decision to initiate a "oil-for-goods" process could increase concerns about sanctions against Iran. The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) has also criticized this Russian decision. According to AFP, Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, reported: "Our opposition to such transactions is long-standing and public. We believe this cannot be beneficial." Israel has also reacted strongly to Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to lift the ban on S-300 deliveries to Iran. Yuval Steinitz, Israel's Minister of Intelligence, International Relations, and Strategic Affairs, who is responsible for Iran in the Israeli government, condemned Moscow's decision, stating that this issue is a "direct result" of the Lausanne agreement. Steinitz claimed that the Lausanne agreement has helped legitimize the Islamic Republic in the international community and paved the way for Putin's recent decision. This Israeli minister, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that lifting the ban on S-300 deliveries to Iran indicates that Iran intends to use the facilities gained from a potential nuclear agreement not to improve the living conditions of its people but to purchase weapons. Meanwhile, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, stated that the preliminary Lausanne agreement on Iran's nuclear program has made the ban on S-300 deliveries "unnecessary." According to the Associated Press, Lavrov said in a televised statement on Monday that the S-300 is a "completely defensive" system that "cannot be used for offensive purposes and does not threaten the security of any country, especially Israel." The contract for the purchase of S-300 air defense systems was signed between Iran and Russia in 2008, but Moscow halted the delivery in 2010 following UN Security Council resolutions that banned the sale of missile technology and equipment to Iran. At that time, the U.S. and Israel had strongly opposed the delivery of this system to Iran.