普京为恢复向伊朗出售导弹辩解

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Iran\'s willingness to try to reach a settlement over its nuclear program was behind his decision to clear the way for the possible sale of an S-300 air defense system to Tehran.

Mr. Putin spoke Thursday in an annual live question-and-answer session on Russian television, taking questions from members of the Russian public.

Moscow signed a contract worth $800 million back in 2007 to supply Tehran with five S-300 batteries. But Russia froze the contract three years later after the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran.

On Monday, hours after Moscow announced the decision to lift the ban, the U.S. Obama administration expressed concern over the development.

The U.S. State Department said transfer of S-300 missiles to Iran would not violate existing U.N. Security Council sanctions, but the U.S. believes "this is not the time" for the sale, given the unrest in the region.

普京星期四在俄罗斯电视台进行每年一次的问答，回答俄罗斯民众的问题。

莫斯科2007年与伊朗签署了8亿美元的合同，向伊朗提供S-300防空系统，但是俄罗斯三年后在安理会决定制裁伊朗后冻结了合同。

星期一，美国政府在俄罗斯宣布解除对伊朗禁运几个小时之后对俄罗斯的做法表示关注。

美国务院说，向伊朗交付导弹不违反现有的安理会制裁，但是美国认为，那个地区局势动荡，现在向伊朗出售武器不合时宜。