Russia stops use of Iran airbase for Syria strikes

Russia has stopped using an Iranian airbase to bomb targets in Syria, both countries have said.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said the operation was “over for now” and the planes had gone, BBC said.

Iran’s Defence Minister Hossein Deghan had earlier criticised Russia for publicising the raids last week, saying it had exhibited a “show-off” attitude.

Russia for its part has confirmed that all of its planes used from Iran for Syria strikes are now back in Russia.

Russia. like Iran, is a key ally of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

Last Tuesday, Russia’s defence ministry announced that Tupolev-22M3 long-range bombers and Sukhoi-34 strike fighters had used the Shahid Nojeh airbase near the eastern city of Hamedan to carry out air strikes on “terrorists” in Syria.

The raids were the first carried by Russia from a third country since it began an air campaign against Mr Assad’s opponents almost a year ago, and also the first launched from Iranian soil by a foreign military since World War Two.

Russia now says that aircraft which were based at the Hamedan air base are no longer located there and have returned to the Russian Federation.

Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that future use of the base will now only take place “on the basis of mutual agreements between the two countries on the fight against terrorism and will depend on developments in Syria”.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, previously lauded the “strategic” co-operation with Russia. But some MPs complained that it breached the Islamic Republic’s constitution, which prohibits allowing foreign militaries to be based on its territory.

In an interview with state TV on Monday, Gen Deghan stressed that Russia would only use the Nojeh airbase “for a very short and fixed span, corresponding (to an) operation in Syria”.