Russia has decided to freeze a contract to sell S-300 missile systems to Iran after the United Nations Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its contentious nuclear program, Interfax news agency reported.
"Naturally, the contract to deliver S-300 missile systems will be frozen," Interfax cited an unidentified source in Russia's arms industry as saying.
Russian officials had said the sanctions would not prevent the sale of the S-300, which can shoot down several aircraft or missiles simultaneously. The United States and Israel have repeatedly urged Russia not to sell the missiles to Iran.
Israel and the United States on Wednesday hailed the United Nations vote to impose a fourth round of sanctions on a defiant Iran, which immediately vowed to continue with its nuclear program.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the new sanctions a "positive" step, but expressed hope that it would lead countries to take broader economic and diplomatic measures, including sanctions on the Iranian energy sector.
"The UN Security Council resolution passed today, led by the determination of President [Barack] Obama, is a positive step," Netanyahu said. "The resolution made clear to Iran that the world's leading powers oppose its nuclear program."
"The biggest danger to peace is that the most dangerous regimes in the world will use the most dangerous weapons of all. The international community needs to continue to keep the prevention of this threat at the top its agenda."
Netanyahu's words echoed an earlier statement by the Foreign Ministry that described UN Security Council resolution 1929 as an "important step." "It is of great importance to implement the decision fully and immediately," the Foreign Ministry statement said.
Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, said the sanctions "can serve as a viable platform for launching very far-reaching sanctions by the United States or like-minded nations against Iran."
Those sanctions could be aimed at Iran's ability to import gasoline, he said.
"They have a lot of oil, but not a lot of refined oil or the ability to export oil abroad," Oren said.
Obama, meanwhile, said the new sanctions send an "unmistakable message" that the international community will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
Speaking shortly after the Security Council voted to impose some of the toughest sanctions on Iran so far, Obama faulted the Islamic state's leaders for failing to seriously address concerns about the country's nuclear activities.
"These are the most comprehensive sanctions that the Iranian government has faced," Obama said.
Iran on Wednesday rejected the resolution over its nuclear activities, vowing to continue enriching uranium. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed as "valueless" the resolution, which passed by 12 votes to two with one abstention, saying it should be thrown out.
"This resolution is not worth a penny for Iran and I sent a message to each one of them [UN Security Council members] that your resolution is like a used handkerchief which should go into a garbage can," the Iran Student News agency quoted him as saying.
"They [world powers] will not be able to harm us," added Ahmadinejad, who is currently on a visit in Tajikistan.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called the UN Security Council vote to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran a "wrong move".
"It was not a constructive step...to resolve the nuclear issue. It will make the situation more complicated," Mehmanparast said.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, said after the vote that Iran would not halt its nuclear enrichment activities. "Nothing will change. The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue uranium enrichment activities," Ali Asghar Soltanieh told reporters in Vienna shortly after the UN vote in New York.