The long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter bombers took off from Iran’s Hamadan air base to strike a range of targets in Syria.
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“The fight for territory and resources is being undertaken through indiscriminate attacks on residential areas, including through the use of barrel bombs, killing hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children”, Ban said in the United Nations report. “It is clear today that the Russians are fighting their global war in Syria”.
“They did not impact coalition operations in either Iraq or Syria during the time”, United States military spokesman Colonel Chris Garver told journalists.
Syrian government troops and opposition fighters are now locked in a battle for the strategic city of Aleppo, where residents face a growing humanitarian crisis.
Although several countries in the region have flirted with strengthened ties to Russia, Moscow has made little headway in fulfilling its ambitions for greater Middle East sway.
Both countries are staunch allies of Syrian President Bashar Assad, but the flights marked the first time Russian Federation has launched strikes from Iranian territory.
Ali Larijani made the remark in dismissal of a parliamentarian’s objection who believed Russia’s use fo Hamadan air base was against Article 146 of Iran’s Constitution, adding “we have only cooperated with Russian Federation as one of our allies in regional issues, particularly in regard to Syria”.
The Russian warplanes then returned to Russia and no Russian forces remained stationed in Iran, said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak to reporters about the matter.
“We have good cooperation with Russian Federation and we say it loud and clear”, Larijani said.
“Russians proposed this idea [a] few months ago and it was discussed with the Iranian authorities back in December 2015”, said Babak Taghavi, a Russian military expert based in Malta.
Russian Federation and the United States have been discussing greater coordination for striking extremists in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on which militant groups could be targeted.
The United States said it was still assessing the extent of Russian-Iranian cooperation but described the new development as “unfortunate”. The bombing runs from a base near the Iranian city of Hamedan, 175 miles southwest of Tehran, may have been a reminder to the Obama administration that Moscow could be cozying up to Iran if Washington doesn’t come around. “Too costly at this particular moment”, he said.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told state news agency IRNA that Moscow and Tehran “exchange capacities and facilities” in the fight against terrorism in Syria.
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 US financial sanctions.
Russian Federation also has been conducting long-range bombing missions against targets in Syria from its base at Mozdok in the north Caucasus, almost 2,000 kilometers away. Russia’s Tu-22M3 bomber is capable of carrying more than 20 metric tons of bombs if flown from Iran.
While flying the warplanes from Hamedan allows Russian Federation to pack a heavier punch in striking the militants’ positions, the same job could have been accomplished by flying from the central Syrian air base at Hmeimeem or by increasing the number of bombers flying from Russian Federation.
Iran’s Shahid Nojeh Air Base, from where Russian aircraft likely took off to bomb Syria in the latest airstrikes by Moscow, has seen Russian aircraft land there before. Russian and Syrian officials have denied those reports.
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”.
Iran has long banned foreign militaries from establishing bases on its soil. However, nothing bars Iranian officials from allowing foreign countries to use an airfield.
The announcement from Russian Federation marks the first significant stationing of its troops there since World War II, when allied British and Soviet forces invaded Iran to secure oil fields and keep Allied supply lines open.
Russia’s defence ministry said long-range warplanes took off from the Hamedan base in western Iran and “conducted a group air strike against targets of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Idlib”.
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The coalition since past year has operated a “memorandum of understanding” with Russian Federation, whereby the two military forces notify each other of flights during their separate bombing campaigns to avoid accidents in the skies over Syria.
