ISTANBUL — Turkey has been the subject of looming US sanctions ever since the S-400 missiles landed in Ankara last July. The Russian-made defense systems are said to pose security threats to NATO alliance equipment in the country and Turkey was booted from the F-35 fighter jet program as a result of the acquisition, escalating US-Turkey tensions indefinitely.

On Monday, Turkish officials said they would postpone the activation of the S-400 systems, scheduled to take place this month, citing complications stemming from the novel coronavirus pandemic, though plans to use the missiles remain unchanged. In response, US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus told Reuters Washington continues to object “strenuously” to Ankara’s purchase of the missiles.

“We continue to stress at the highest levels that the S-400 transaction is the subject of ongoing CAATSA sanctions deliberations and it remains a major obstacle in the bilateral relationship and at NATO,” Ortagus said Monday, referring to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Though the S-400s remain a point of contention, with Ankara officials claiming the missiles are a necessary defense measure, some analysts say the delayed activation offers an avenue for renewed negotiations between the United States and Turkey.