Russian foreign minister plays down resumption of arms sales to Iran

MOSCOW - Russia has not yet signed any new arms contracts with Iran, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov insisted Saturday, playing down U.S. concern over Moscow's decision to resume weapons sales to Iran.

Ivanov also angrily criticized U.S. warnings that Washington could impose sanctions on Moscow if it resumes arms sales to Tehran.

Ivanov said the warnings were an attempt to talk with Russia in ''the language of the past,'' the ITAR-Tass news agency said.

''It seems to me that the topic is too exaggerated now and there is too much unnecessary passion around it. In fact, nothing serious has happened,'' Ivanov said in an interview with Russia's state-run RTR television from Berlin, where he was attending a conference.

''No one has signed any contracts with Iran,'' he said. ''The issue is that Russia, when it comes to military cooperation with Iran as well as with other countries, does not consider itself constrained by any special obligations in spheres which are not restricted by international obligations.''

Russia recently notified Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that it will no longer observe a 1995 pledge that it would not sell tanks and battlefield weapons to Iran.

The Russian Defense Ministry insists it will not supply any hardware capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction. But the White House opposes any arms sales to Iran and is trying to get Moscow to change its mind, threatening sanctions against Russia, a U.S. official said.

Washington has repeatedly accused Russian scientific institutes of selling missile technology to Iran or helping Iran develop weapons by teaching Iranian students.