Russian Defense Ministry said that early on Tuesday, 280 kilometers (175 miles) southwest of the Iranian capital, near the Iranian city of Hamedan, some targets were struck in eastern and northern Syria in three provinces by the long-range bombers after taking off.
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Russian Federation and Iran have strongly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government throughout the five-and-a-half year civil war with rebel groups supported by the United States and allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. They were launched from Hamadan air base in Iran.
USA officials said Tuesday that they did not know if Russian Federation planned to fly more missions from the base.
Both countries back Assad.
Toner said that Russia’s increased cooperation with Iran would not preclude further discussions with Russian Federation on a possible agreement.
President Vladimir Putin visited in November and the two countries regularly discuss military planning for Syria.
Russia’s decision to launch raids from Iran puts it firmly in the camp of Shiite forces in the Mideast, Rubin said, something Moscow may not realize carries long-term consequences.
He’s rejected United States allegations that Russian Federation is violating UN sanctions, which prohibit the transfer of combat aircraft to Iran. “It speaks to a continuation of a pattern we’ve seen of Russian Federation continuing to carry out air strikes, now with Iran’s direct assistance, . that predominantly target moderate Syrian opposition forces”.
Kerry is trying to reach agreement with Russian Federation on military cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria. Toner said that those talks continued despite stepped up Russian-Iranian cooperation.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov escalated the war of words, denying that operating from Iran violated the resolution.
Col. Christopher Garver, a USA military spokesman in Baghdad, said the Russians activated a communications link with coalition officials just ahead of the bomber mission.
“It is against our rules to provide advice to the leadership of the U.S. State Department, but it’s hard to resist a recommendation for some State Department representatives to check their logic and knowledge of fundamental documents of global law”, Konashenkov said.
Top Iranian officials said on Wednesday that the arrangement is legal because it only extends to permission to refuel.
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“Placing Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers in Hamedan certainly shortens the distance”, said Blake Fleisher, a policy analyst with the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. The first round of airstrikes Tuesday were aimed at Islamic State as well as the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front. The United States should welcome instead of denouncing Russia’s using an airbase in Iran for airstrikes against militants as this meets the main task of the region – fight against Islamic State, a senior Russian parliamentarian told Rossiya 24 television on Wednesday.
