The unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against two Iranian companies have raised serious questions, said the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that the sanctions, imposed on Iran's national airline Iran Air and the country's major port operator Tidewater Middle East, had a negative effect on the authority of the UN Security Council and also had the potential to threaten Russian businesses working with these companies.

"This position is absolutely inadmissible for us. It needs a total review," said the ministry.

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on the two Iranian companies, saying they were involved in transporting weapons.

The United States has accused Iran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon, while Iran, which is under four rounds of UN sanctions, says its program is for energy production.