Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran and regional security on a phone call Wednesday. They talked days after Moscow’s ambassador to Tehran said the Kremlin may sell the Islamic Republic its S-400 missile defense system after the U.N. arms embargo expires later this month.
The two leaders discussed regional security issues, Iranian aggression and the situation in Syria. They also discussed advancing bilateral cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
Netanyahu conveyed warm wishes to Putin on the occasion of his 68th birthday which fell on Wednesday, the statement added.
On Saturday, Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan told Tehran-based Risalat newspaper, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, that Tehran would have “no problem” selling the advanced air defense system.
“We have said since the very first day that there will be no problem for selling weapons to Iran from October 19,” Dzhagaryan said.
He added he wasn’t concerned about U.S. threats.
“As you know we have provided Iran with S-300. Russia does not have any problem delivering S-400 to Iran and it did not have any problem before either,” he said.
In August, the U.N. Security Council defeated a U.S. resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran.