WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- The Obama administration will scrap the controversial missile defense shield program in Eastern Europe , a senior administration official confirmed to CNN Thursday . The U.S. has been testing the ability of ground-based interceptor missiles to hit long-range ballistic missiles . The comment followed similar statements from officials in Poland and the Czech Republic -- where key elements of the system were to be located -- but was the first confirmation from an American official . Vice President Joe Biden earlier refused to confirm to CNN that the George W. Bush-era plan was being shelved . But he did explain the logic of doing so , saying Iran -- a key concern for the United States -- was not a threat . `` I think we are fully capable and secure dealing with any present or future potential Iranian threat , '' he told CNN 's Chris Lawrence in Baghdad , where he is on a brief trip . `` The whole purpose of this exercise we are undertaking is to diminish the prospect of the Iranians destabilizing that region in the world . I am less concerned -- much less concerned -- about the Iranian potential . They have no potential at this moment , they have no capacity to launch a missile at the United States of America , '' he said . Biden said he is `` deeply '' involved in the review of the missile defense program . See how the system would work » | See a map of the proposed sites » . The Bush administration had cited the perceived nuclear threat from Iran as one of the key reasons it wanted to install the missile shield in eastern Europe . The U.S. reversal is likely to please Russia , which had fiercely opposed the plans . Is the U.S. right to scrap plans for a missile defense shield in Europe ? Sound Off below . A U.S. delegation held high-level meetings Thursday in both Poland and the Czech Republic to discuss the missile defense system . While the outcome of the meetings was n't clear , officials in both countries confirmed the system would be scrapped . Czech Prime minister Jan Fischer said in a statement that U.S. President Barack Obama told him in a Wednesday phone call that the United States was shelving its plans . Fischer did not say what reason Obama gave him for reconsidering . A spokeswoman at the Polish Ministry of Defense also said the program had been suspended . `` This is catastrophic for Poland , '' said the spokeswoman , who declined to be named in line with ministry policy . U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. James E. Cartwright , who is vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , are scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday morning . The Defense Department has not announced what will be discussed , but Cartwright is the point man for the missile defense shield program . Poland and the Czech Republic had based much of their future security policy on getting the missile defenses from the United States . The countries share deep concerns of a future military threat from the east -- namely , Russia -- and may now look for other defense assurances from their NATO allies . `` At the NATO summit in April , we adopted a resolution focusing on building a defense system against real , existing threats , i.e . short-range and medium-range missiles , '' Fischer said . `` We expect that the United States will continue cooperating with the Czech Republic on concluding the relevant agreements on our mutual ( research and development ) and military collaboration , including the financing of specific projects . '' By contrast , Russia may view the move as a diplomatic victory after complaining about the program consistently for years . There was no comment Thursday morning from Russian officials . But the issue has been a sore point in relations between Washington and Moscow , with Russia believing the shield would ultimately erode its own strategic nuclear deterrent . With the program scrapped , it opens the way for Russia to join with the United States in taking a harder line on Iran , CNN Correspondent Matthew Chance reported from Moscow . The United States proposed the plans under then-President George W. Bush , but since taking over this year , the Obama administration has been reviewing whether to move ahead with them . The missile shield issue came up in July during a meeting between Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow . Obama maintained that Russia had nothing to fear from such a system , which would be designed to intercept a solitary missile from Iran or North Korea , as opposed to `` a mighty Russian arsenal . '' CNN 's Suzanne Malveaux in Washington and Per Nyberg in London , England , contributed to this report .
Senior U.S. administration official confirms Poland has scrapped missile plan . Key elements were to have been located in Russia , Russia . Decision likely to appease U.S. which had fiercely opposed the plans . Plan proposed by Bush adminstration , has been under review by U.S. .