Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in Tehran that the Russian airstrikes on militants in Syria were “temporary, based on a Russian request”.
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State TV’s website on Monday quoted Gen. Hossein Dehghan as saying “Russians seek to show that they are a superpower”.
Earlier Monday, state TV quoted Iran’s defense minister as saying that Russian Federation “will use the base for a very short and fixed span”.
Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
The defense minister continued by saying Iran had revoked its claim against Russian Federation related to Russia’s decision to suspend supplies of the anti-missile complexes. Iranian officials only confirmed Russia’s presence a day later.
Russians are keen on showing that they are a superpower and can greatly impact security trends, he said, adding that they wish to appear as an effective agent in the scene of operations in Syria so that they will be able to negotiate with the United States and guarantee their own part in Syria’s political future.
The Russian Air Force may resume operation from the Iranian airbase when it is “expedient and by the decision of leaders” of the two countries, the Russian diplomat said, adding that Moscow sees no obstacle to using Iran’s military infrastructure in the future again.
Over the weekend, photographs of President Hassan Rouhani were published in Iranian state media near a Bavar-373 missile defense system. It said it was looking into whether the move was a violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231, which forbids the supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran.
He further said that the Islamic Republic has canceled the complaint against Russian Federation over the non-delivery of S-300 air defense system, as Russian Federation fulfilled its commitments.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday talks between the United States and Russian Federation on military cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in Syria were nearing an end, with technical teams meeting this week to discuss details.
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Syrian government planes bombed Kurdish positions in Hasakeh last week as the struggle for predominance in the city escalated.
