NEW YORK, Aug 5: The Russian government lodged a strong protest on Friday as the United States imposed sanctions on seven foreign companies, two of them Russian, for providing Iran with materials that could be used to make unconventional weapons or cruise or ballistic missile systems.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the country’s military trade with Iran had not violated any international laws.

“In effect, it amounts to one more unjustifiable attempt to force foreign companies to base their activities on American domestic regulations,” the ministry said.

“Sanctions of this kind that the United States unilaterally applies to other countries and to organisations in them are an obvious political and legal anachronism.”