Iran deal paves way for broad coalition against IS: Russia

MOSCOW: The Iran nuclear deal paves the way for a "broad" coalition to fight the Islamic State group, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

"It removes the barriers -- largely artificial -- on the way to a broad coalition to fight the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups," Lavrov said in a statement on the ministry´s website.

The normalisation of the situation with Iran makes it possible to resolve "a whole number of problems and conflicts in the region" and will have a "positive influence on the situation as a whole", Lavrov said.

"In particular, it creates added impetus to promote the creation in the Middle East of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction."

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini earlier Tuesday told Sky Italia that the deal "opens the way for a new confidence" in combatting the IS group.

Lavrov said the opportunities were now growing for Russia and Iran to cooperate in defence technology, stressing the need to "defeat the threats of terrorism in the region".

The terms of the Iran nuclear deal restrict arms sales for five years, but Lavrov has said that some deliveries will be possible with special permission from the UN Security Council.