For those strikes, “the Russians did notify the coalition” under the memorandum of understanding on flight safety over Syria that was agreed to by the two countries, Garver said. “It is clear today that the Russians are fighting their global war in Syria”.
Advertisement
The foreign minister said Moscow and Washington are discussing with the United Nations the possibility of opening additional humanitarian corridors in Aleppo city and its vicinity controlled by the Syrian army and opposition militants.
“It is against our rules to give advice to the U.S. Department of State”.
Amid the fighting, Russian Federation and the United States are trying to secure a ceasefire and in discussions on cooperating more closely against recognized terrorist groups.
“So that element of it is not new”, he said. “It is just too poisonous for the Obama administration”.
Relations between Tehran and Moscow have grown warmer since Iran reached agreement previous year with global powers to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of U.N., European Union and USA financial sanctions. Russian Federation first announced the strikes on Tuesday from near the Iranian city of Hamedan, 280 kilometers southwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Russian Federation maintains significant numbers of combat aircraft inside Syria, and it has flown long-range bomber missions from southern Russian Federation. The distance from Hamedan is less than half that.
You are reading news and information on LongIsland.com, Long Island’s Most Popular Website, Since 1996.
Earlier on Tuesday, Russia’s state-backed Rossiya 24 channel said the deployment would allow the Russian air force to cut flight times by 60 percent and increase bombing payloads.
According to defense consultancy IHS Jane’s, Moscow made use of the Syrian base due to expansion work at Mozdok airbase in southern Russian Federation, from where long-range bombers had been flying their Syria raids.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed today’s strikes had destroyed two ISIS “command posts” and killed over 150 ISIS fighters.
The nearest air base to Hamedan is Shahid Nojeh, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the city.
“There is compelling evidence that Russian government aircraft are being used to deliver incendiary weapons or at least are participating with Syrian government aircraft in attacks using incendiary weapons”, the report concluded.
The latest Russian-Iranian coordination would suggest Tehran isn’t being sidelined. Iran’s constitution, ratified after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, bars foreign militaries from having bases within the country.
The text prohibits the use of combat aircraft “for the use in or benefit of Iran”. “There is no stationing of Russian forces in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, Boroujerdi added.
Advertisement
The use of Iranian base marks a departure from the bombing campaign that Kremlin launched in September to support Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, as Moscow had been using its bases in Syria and Russian Federation for air raids. On Tuesday, almost 20 civilians were reported killed in airstrikes in eastern districts of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and its former commercial center which has become the focal point of the country’s ruinous civil war.
