Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to give any details of
the barter deal. But asked whether a senior Foreign Ministry
official was correct when he said on Monday that the exchange had
begun, Peskov told reporters: "Absolutely. Of course."
Peskov also said no legal barriers remained to supplying the
advanced Russian air defence system S-300 to Iran after President
Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday lifting a ban on such
deliveries.
"One the whole you can say one thing - from the juridical point of
view there are no longer any constraints (on deliveries) now that
the decree has been signed," Peskov said in a conference call with
reporters.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Apr/14/images/ads/current/pest_control_bch_092414.png) Iran and six world powers, including Russia, reached an interim deal
with Iran this month on curbing its nuclear programme. They have
until June 30 to work out a detailed agreement under which Tehran
would allow international control in exchange for a lifting of
economic sanctions.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Apr/14/images/ads/current/cia_2_lda_031115.png)
Sources told Reuters more than a year ago that a barter deal worth
up to $20 billion was being discussed with Tehran and would involve
Russia buying up to 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day in exchange
for Russian equipment and goods.
Officials from the two countries have issued contradictory
statements since then on whether a barter deal has been signed, but
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday one was
already being implemented.
(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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