JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone, telling him that his decision to sell advanced missile defense system to Iran will put the region's security at risk.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu expressed Israel's grave concerns regarding the decision to sell S-300 missile systems to Iran.
"This sale will only encourage Iranian aggression in the region and further undermine the stability of the Middle East," Netanyahu told Putin.
The prime minister added in a subsequent statement that the deal was "a result of the framework agreement between Iran and the world powers."
On Monday, Russian officials said that following the framework agreement reached by Iran and the six world powers (U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia and Germany) earlier this month, President Putin signed a decree lifting the ban on shipping S-300 defense missiles to Iran. The parties will hammer out the details of the agreement until June 30.
The move triggered harsh condemnations by Israeli officials, with Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz charging on Monday that the lifting of sanctions from Iran will be "exploited for arming itself rather than the welfare of the Iranian people."
Israeli defense officials believe that the system would help Iran defend itself against a possible future airstrike on its nuclear facilities, which Israeli officials in the past hinted is a possibility, the channel 2 news reported.
On Monday, The United States also voiced concerns about Russia's decision to supply Iran with sophisticated air defense systems, expressing hope for continued cooperation over nuclear talks with the Islamic republic.
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