According to US Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, Washington does not agree with Russia’s sale of Su-30 fighters and S-300 anti-aircraft defense systems to Iran and believes that such transactions can only be made upon approval by the UN Security Council.

“We will not give our approval”, Shannon stressed in reply to the question whether the US will use its veto power if this issue is taken to the UN Security Council.

In addition, he noted that possible deliveries of S-300 systems also worry Washington.

“It is obvious that we are not interested in Iran having advanced fighters and ground systems. We will use all available means to oppose any systems that Iran may use for offensive purposes,” Shannon said.

According to recent statements by representatives of the Russian military complex, the contract for the purchase of Russian Su-30 fighters by Iran is expected to be signed later this year.

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As for the S-300 systems, the head of the Russian corporation Rostekh – a state corporation of the Russian Federation that develops, manufactures and exports high-tech industrial products for civil and military use – Sergei Chemezov has stated that deliveries will begin in August or September this year.

The contract for delivery of Russian systems to Iran was signed in 2007 but was eventually nullified after the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1929 entailing sanctions against Iran in 2010. Despite this, in April 2015 the Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the agreement to be resumed.

In July of that year, the lifting of the sanctions against the Islamic Republic opened the doors so that the sale was finally concluded.

Failure to comply with the first contract in 2010 prompted Tehran to file suit against Moscow for $ 4 billion. With the resumption of the agreement, however, the parties reached an agreement and the action was withdrawn.