A senior lawmaker and ally of President Vladimir Putin suggested yesterday that Russia could increase arms sales to Iran or review cooperation over Afghanistan if the United States launches military strikes against Syria.

Russia is a long-standing ally of Iran, Syria’s main backer and the United States’ chief antagonist in the Middle East. Moscow built Iran’s first nuclear power station and has supplied it with anti-aircraft defences.

The remarks by Alexei Pushkov, head of the lower house of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, appeared to be part of a drive to convince Washington to refrain from attacking Syria in retaliation for a poison gas attack in Damascus that killed hundreds of civilians.

Raises prospect of end to cooperation on Afghanistan

Pushkov echoed Putin by saying Russia’s initiative to have its ally Syria give up all its chemical weapons would succeed only if Washington and its allies rejected the use of force.

Outlining possible responses if Syria was attacked, Pushkov told the State Duma: “This would include the expansion of defensive weapons deliveries to Iran, and discussing the possibility of reviewing our cooperation with the United States on Afghanistan.”

The Russian business daily Kommersant said Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could agree a deal on supplying Tehran with Antey-2500 anti-aircraft missiles when they meet on the sidelines of a regional summit in Kyrgyzstan tomorrow.

Russia provides a transit route for US and Nato military cargo to Afghanistan, a facility that will become less important once most of the troops in the US-led coalition leave next year.

Syria has accepted the Russian proposal to hand over chemical arms, but US President Barack Obama said it was too early to tell if the initiative would succeed. He said he would keep military forces at the ready to strike if diplomacy fails.