Russia says arms deliveries to Iran possible if approved by U.N.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (L) walks down stairs upon his arrival in Ufa, Russia, the early hours of July 9, 2015. REUTERS/BRICS/SCO Photohost/RIA Novosti

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, after a deal was reached on curbing Iran's nuclear programme, that arms deliveries to Tehran will be possible if approved by the United Nations 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.

Saying arms deliveries would be possible to Iran under certain conditions even before an arms embargo expires, he said in comments broadcast from Vienna by Russian television: "In the next five years deliveries of arms to Iran will be possible, under the conditions of the relevant procedures, notification and verification by the U.N. Security Council."

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly and Maria Kiselyova, Writing by Lidia Kelly, Editing by Timothy Heritage)