VIENNA Web Desk) – Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the nuclear deal with Iran, saying that with the deal signed “the world can breathe a sigh of relief”.
The deal will see an easing of sanctions on Iran, including a UN arms embargo and ban on Tehran’s ballistic missile programme, an advantage to Russia which is keen to sell arms to Iran.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister who has been involved in the nuclear talks, said that after the deal arms deliveries to Tehran would be possible if approved by the UN Security Council.
He also said Russia was counting on the United States carrying out a promise, which he said it had made in 2009, not to deploy missile defence systems in Europe once a nuclear deal was reached with Iran.
Russia’s foreign minister said Tuesday the international arms embargo against Iran will remain for five years under the deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme, but deliveries would be possible with special permission of the UN Security Council,.
“There was a compromise reached between Iran and Western colleagues which we supported… five years, but during the five years arms deliveries to Iran would be possible if they clear a notification and verification process in the UN Security Council,” Sergei Lavrov told journalists.
