The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has said the US plan to deploy a missile defence shield in central Europe could seriously complicate talks on the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme.
It is the first time Russia has linked the issue with Iran, and Mr Lavrov's comments came after the US President, George Bush, stressed that his government was committed to building the shield.
Mr Lavrov said the US's stated intention of protecting against a potential Iranian threat would anger Tehran, and called on Washington to halt moves to deploy the shield, pending further talks.
