Iran: Russian Use Of Air Base Halted

Russia is suspending the use of Iran's Hamedan air base to launch strikes on Syria, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced Aug. 22, Reuters reported. Russia first used the base during the week of Aug. 15 to deploy long-range bombers and faced international criticism for it, including from Iranian lawmakers. It was the first time a foreign power had used an Iranian base since the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian Constitution prohibits foreign powers from establishing air bases in the country. Russia and Iran are increasingly cooperating in their support for Syrian President Bashar al Assad, but Iran's disjointed response to questions about the deployment indicate it was not prepared for the disclosure.