Russia has used an Iranian air base to launch airstrikes against the targets in Syria, Russia’s defense ministry and the Iran’s official state news agency reported.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi, termed Moscow’s use of the bases as a “temporary mission, that had ended.” “Russia has no base in Iran nor has it deployed (its fighter jets) in our country,” Qassemi said.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov have confirmed in an email statement that Russian military units that were using Iran’s Hamadan Air Base have “successfully completed all the tasks.”
He added that, Russian warplanes might return in the future “on the basis of mutual agreements on combating terrorism,” the statement said.
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that Russia’s use of the Iranian airfield “could very well be a violation of [UN] Resolution 2231,” which prohibits the transfer of the combat aircraft to Iran.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected that suggestion. “There are no reasons that suspect Russia of violating resolution 2231,” Lavrov said during a news conference. “Neither supply nor transfer or sale of military aircraft to Iran took place.”
Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said that, Tehran and Moscow “enjoy strategic cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Syria and share their facilities and capacities to this end.”
By Premji
