Russia used
Iran as a base from which to launch airstrikes against Syrian
militants for the first time Tuesday, widening its air campaign in
Syria and deepening its involvement in the Middle East. In a move
underscoring Moscow's increasingly close ties with Tehran, long-range
Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter bombers used
Iran's Hamadan air base to strike a range of targets in Syria.
It was also
the first time Russia has used the territory of another nation, apart
from Syria itself, to launch such strikes since the Kremlin launched
a bombing campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in
September last year. It was also thought to be the first time that
Iran has allowed a foreign power to use its territory for military
operations since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The Iranian
deployment will boost Russia's image as a central player in the
Middle East and allow the Russian air force to cut flight times and
increase bombing payloads. The head of Iran's National Security
Council was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying Tehran and
Moscow were now sharing facilities to fight against terrorism,
calling their cooperation strategic.
Full
report:
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