The Iranian authorities strongly condemn the US sanctions on Turkey over the acquisition of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, TASS reported referring to the Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The US preference for sanctions and disrespect for international law is once again fully demonstrated, he tweeted.

The sanctions put a ban on all US export licenses and authorizations to the Republic of Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries as well as an asset freeze and visa restrictions on the organization’s president Dr. Ismail Demir and other high-ranking officers.

“Turkey is a valued ally and an important regional security partner for the United States, and we seek to continue our decades-long history of productive defense-sector cooperation by removing the obstacle of Turkey’s S-400 possession as soon as possible,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a statement announcing the sanctions.

In 2017, Turkish President Recep Erdogan signed a deal reportedly worth $2.5 billion with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the S-400 missile systems.