The nearest air base to Hamedan is Shahid Nojeh Air Base, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the city.
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The report described the air base as “quite large with a 15,000-foot (4,572-meter) runway, extensive taxiways and multiple hangars and bunkers – all seemingly in good fix”.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that long-range Tu-22 bombers and Su-34 fighter bombers flew from Hamdan in northwestern Iran and struck targets in Aleppo, Deir al-Zour and Idlib provinces linked to the Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which was once affiliated with al-Qaeda.
A USA official said, however, that discussions with the Russians are still ongoing and no agreement is close.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday that Washington and Moscow are closing in on a deal to partner in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, the largest metropolitan area in the war-torn country.
Russia’s state-backed Rossiya 24 channel earlier on Tuesday broadcast uncaptioned images of at least three bombers and a Russian military transport plane apparently inside Iran, but said it was unclear how many Russian bombers had arrived there. According to the Russian news agency TASS, the aircraft have already taken off from the Iranian city of Hamadan in order to carry out missions against ISIS and the rebel forces in Syria.
Moscow has denied using such weapons in Syria. But opposition activists said yesterday the insurgents retreated following a massive government counterattack.
A top Russian lawmaker, Adm. Vladimir Komoyedov, said Russia’s decision to use a base in Iran will help to cut costs, which is “paramount right now”.
The Interfax news agency on Tuesday quoted Adm. Vladimir Komoyedov, former commander of the Black Sea fleet and a State Duma Deputy, as saying that using facilities in Iran is a good way for Russian Federation to cut costs.
It is virtually unheard of in Iran’s recent history to allow a foreign power to use one of its bases to stage attacks from.
Russian Tupolev-22 bombers were deployed to a military air base in Iran as part of the first operational collaboration between the two countries.
“With constructive and extended cooperation between Iran, Russia and Syria and the resistance front (Hezbollah), the situation has become very tough for terrorists and the trend will continue until the complete destruction of them”, Shamkhani said.
The bombers had been protected by fighters based at Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria’s Latakia Province, it said. Russian Federation has never used the territory of another country in the Middle East – except Syria – for its operations inside Syria before this.
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The move shows Russia is expanding its role and presence in the Middle East and comes amid Russian media reports Moscow has asked Iran and Iraq for permission to fire cruise missiles at Syrian targets across their territory from the Caspian Sea.
