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Sale of advanced S-300 missile system to Iran will go ahead regardless of sanctions, Russia says

Harsher sanctions on Iran will not prevent Russia from fulfilling its obligation and selling the S-300 missile system to Tehran, a senior Russian parliamentarian said Friday.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mikhail Margelov said the latest sanctions proposal does not pertain to agreements signed with Iran in the past.

"Russia is a responsible supplier to international markets and it has no interest in working towards arming the Middle East," Margelov was quoted as saying by the Novosti and Interfax news agencies. He added that the draft proposal formulated by the five permanent members of the Security Council along with Germany is "balanced" and that the sanctions it offers are not "paralyzing.

"We are talking about steps that would be unavoidable should Iran not adhere to international law," he said.

Margelov's comments follow statements by Western diplomats Thursday who said that the new sanctions being formulated against Tehran will ban the transfer of S-300 missile systems from Russia and Iran.

The sale of the advanced missile systems greatly concerns both Israeli and US defense officials, as the system's deployment will make a strike on Iran's nuclear sites significantly more difficult to carry out.