President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday as he sought to allay concerns over his decision to lift a ban on supplying S-300 missiles to Iran.

"A telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took place at the initiative of the Israeli side," the Kremlin said in a statement. "In connection with concerns over the removal of an embargo expressed by Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin explained in detail the logic of actions of the Russian leadership."