On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Russia’s use of the Iranian base “could very well be a violation” of a UN Security Council resolution that requires its prior approval for the supply, sale or transfer of warplanes to Iran.
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Russian fighter bombers conducted strikes on Syria from an airbase in Iran for a second day on Wednesday, rebuffing a suggestion from the United States that using the base may violate a UN Security Council resolution.
In response to him, Iranian parliament’s speaker Ali Larijani said no military base was given to Russian Federation. Underscoring the US confusion, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters that Washington was “still trying to assess what exactly they’re doing”.
“Over 150 militants have been eliminated, among them foreign mercenaries”, in the strikes, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. “In reality, there is no violation at all”, Pushkov said, adding that these statements were clearly “determined by the U.S. bid to have all under their control and determine the course of events in Syria”.
He told reporters that Iran and Russian Federation have developed strategic ties to advance the global campaign against terrorism.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said state-of-the-art Sukhoi Su-34 tactical bombers left their base in Hamdan, Iran, to target Isis (Daesh) buildings in the IS-controlled city of Deir-ez-Zor which borders with Iraq.
Later in the day, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said that Tehran and Moscow have developed a strategic partnership in the war on terrorism in Syria, saying they share “capacities and facilities” in the anti-terrorism campaign. “An alliance with Moscow, and letting the Russians use its bases, is a clear message from Tehran that it will do whatever it takes to serve its interests in the region”. Earlier long-range Russian bombers took off from the Russian territory while attack bombers – from Hmeymim airbase in Syria.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday his country’s warplanes were only using the base and “there has been no supply, sale or transfer of combat jets to Iran”.
The move also will not go unnoticed by Iran’s Sunni-ruled neighbors, which fall in the USA sphere of influence in the Middle East and host American military personnel.
Syrian rebels and opposition activists reacted angrily to the news.
Both countries back Assad.
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on the impact of Mr. Obama’s calls for Mr. Assad to step down.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani attend a signing ceremony in Tehran.
“We do not need tears or sympathy or even prayers”, they wrote.
“All parties to the conflict are failing to uphold their obligation to protect civilians”, he said.
The administration has spent almost $5.6 billion on humanitarian aid for Syrians since the civil war began. US officials said no agreement was close.
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Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that it launched the strikes from near the Iranian city of Hamedan and struck targets in three provinces in northern and eastern Syria.
