Russia Bans Missile Sale to Iran; Washington Approves

President Obama has lauded Russian President Dmitri Medvedev at an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. Russia has publically announced the cancelling of an estimated $800 million sale of S-300 missile defense systems to Iran. The sale of the missiles has been stalled for several months while the Russians deliberated whether the new round of UN sanctions against Iran pertained to air defense missiles. There was an unspoken understanding that the sale would not proceed, but the public announcement has relieved many in Washington who feel that this may be the pressure needed to really hammer the sanctions home in Iran.

The White House has also praised the announcement, which comes at a time of warming relations between Russia and the U.S. The Senate, which is currently debating the ratification of a treaty with Russia aimed at arms reduction, said that the public announcement of the canceled deal with Iran is proof of the close cooperation between the two countries on issues of “mutual interest, and global security.”

The announcement also comes at a moment when renewed talks between Iran and the West are expected over the Iranian nuclear issue, a process which has been called a “phased approach” to get Iran back to the negotiation table regarding uranium enrichment and cooperation with international inspectors. While Iranian officials are set to meet with Russian and other foreign dignitaries in the coming days, for the US, communicating with Iran remains a difficult process.