US irked by reports of $1.5 billion Iran-Russia oil-for-goods deal

The White House said on Monday it was concerned about recent reports that Iran and Russia are negotiating an oil-for-goods swap worth $1.5 billion a month, a deal that the White House said could potentially trigger US sanctions.

"We are concerned about these reports and Kerry directly expressed this concern with Foreign Minister Lavrov today," a White House spokeswoman said. "If the reports are true, such a deal would raise serious concerns as it would be inconsistent with the terms of the P5+1 agreement with Iran and could potentially trigger US sanctions," she said. (Reuters)