The Russian Aerospace Forces used the base less than a week.
Photo: Sputnik / Ramil Sitdikov
Russian military has wanted to use the Hamadan airbase not only as a stage airfield, but also as a full-fledged military facility with deployment of respective arsenals, the Kommersant newspaper reported, citing a source in the Russian military command.
However, Teheran did not accept this variant, the source noted.
Earlier, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan expressed dissatisfaction with a way, which has been used by the Russian side to cover news about use of the airbase.
“Russia is interested to show itself as a superpower and guarantee its role in determining the political future of Syria. And, of course, there was a certain percentage of posturing and ungentlemanly behavior on their part,” Dehghan said.
Official reports of the Russian Defense Ministry called the Hamadan airbase a home station. The Russian Defense Ministry has not made any mention of terms of the agreements with Tehran. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave no public comment.
On August 20, the Iranian Defense Minister said that Iran will allow the Russian Air Force to use its Hamadan airbase for “as long as they need” to support their mission against terrorists in Syria. He also noted that this military decision was made “in the framework of cooperation in fighting IS and other terrorists, which was organized at the request of the Syrian government.” However, on August 22, Russian Ambassador to Tehran, Levan Dzhagaryan, announced that Russian military have left the airbase. He also admitted that operations of the Russian Aerospace Forces, carrying out from the airbase, may be resumed by decision of the two countries’ leadership.
“Moscow sees no obstacles to the further use of Iranian infrastructure, including the air base in Hamadan, for strikes against terrorists in Syria,” Djagaryan said.
“The Russian Aerospace Forces will use the Hamadan airbase in Iran on the basis of mutual agreements with Tehran, depending on situation in Syria,” the Russian Defense Ministry stressed.
In just a few hours earlier, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Bahram Ghasemi, said that Russia, currently, has completed to use the Iranian military base.
“Russia has no base in Iran and is not stationed here. They did this [operation] and it has finished for now,” the spokesman told reporters on Monday.
At the same time, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stressed that Tehran does not prohibit Moscow to use the Hamadan airbase for flights over Syria.
The developments around the Hamedan Air Base depicts that there could be some gap in the communication between Tehran and Moscow.
Meanwhile, the US State Department put in doubt an ultimate cessation of use of the Hamadan airbase by Russia. According to US State Department spokesman Mark Turner, the department is not sure whether Russia completely stopped the use of the Hamadan airbase, Reuters reported. He also stressed that the US are closely watching the development of cooperation between Russia and Iran.
“It is not clear for us, whether Russia has completely stopped its using of the Iranian air base,” Turner said at a briefing on 22 August.
This smells like an effort from Iran and Russia to de-escalate the conflict in Syria….where the US is reacting as it is pushed into a corner. The US yesterday was treatening to shoot down Syrian warplanes, that are getting close to the Green Berets operating in the Kurd’s territories. The Iranis and Russians now count with Erdogan to neuter the Kurds, who seem to lack vision and leadership : too bad for them, the situation for Kurd advamcement is to get worst if they select the US State Dpt instead of Al Assad. As it is, the Shiite in Irak and the Syrians plus the Russians, Turkish and Iranians, have the upper hand, and the Kurds are playing with bery bad cards : The incoherent Anglo-Zionist card !!
right but is it ever what it seems
Hey Russia the 1960’s want their aircraft back…SU-24 pffft.
does the job though
The current US Air Force fleet, whose planes are more than 26 years old on average, is the oldest in USAF history. It won’t keep that title for very long. Many transport aircraft and aerial refueling tankers are more than 40 years old – and under current plans, some may be as many as 70-80 years old before they retire. Since the price for next-generation planes has risen faster than inflation, average aircraft age will climb even if the US military gets every plane it asks for in its future plans. Nor is the USA the only country facing this problem.
Yes – there are solutions. One is too keep peace better. Another is tech by drones, cruisers a.s.o.
The U.S. B-52 is still in service from the 1950’s.
seems u never miss the chance to ridicule yourself
The SU-24 is a specialist ground attack aircraft and a very good one at that. But the SU-37’s etc that back it up are killer multi-roll jet fighters.
it seems likely to me that Russia used the base for a specific mission series and then left. it plans to return at random times when targeting from the east is preferable. this is also good to demoralize the terrorists, making them aware that they can meet death from any direction. none of this needs to be overanalyzed, though everything is these days.
Right now the USA and UK just said today that they will shoot down and Syrian or Russian aircraft bombing their terrorist in Eastern Syria. How is Syria going to liberate Syria if they cannot bomb any group of 10,000 terrorist just because a dozen SAS are in their ranks? Russia needs this base now more then ever. If an air to air battle happens, Russia and Syria and Iran need to win it within 50 minutes time. If the US and UK looses 11 or s aircraft quickly, that will deescalate the situation. As the America people will cry out to “Stop Interfering In Syria without a UN mandate” The modern US and UK cannot handle a bloody nose without running away. So bloody their nose, and they will go.
Rojava is Kurdish land. So much for supporting anti racism and indigenous rights! YpG are not terrorists.
Russia vacated the airbase after US threats of retaliation against their terrorists in Syria. I believe this is the reason why, now is not the time to be operating out of Iran. Lean and mean was Russia’s strategy, if attacked then Russia can very quickly exit Syria and let the cruise missiles do the work.
Ha-ha. Thats what Your mother has learned from doperman Putin, not even allowed to be in the handicap olympics. And the russians dwarfs are bigger too.
Could be the avery russian dont know anything about how low the russian military budget is compared to USA and others as well as the BNPs.
The russian BNP is HALF of Germany. US are BOTH 10 times as much as Russia. China and Japan are 3 times bigger than You than BNP.
US military budget 600 billions – Russia 68 billions – China 112 – France 52 UK 57 – Germany 44 in 2013.
You also forget, that USA has a lot of small friends in Europe and other places and we can hit You lay you down in 30 minutes too.
You also forget US has a large first class drone system and much more cruiser missiles.
And how many hangarships can You end around the world – 1.
You also forget, we are proud of our contries as well and we dont like Russia spitting at the former colonies all the way around just because they dont want to cellebrate “The Great Fatherland War” – which USSR won alone not mentioning it started by Stalin let at least 6 million killed by military stupidity of worst kind.
Think You have Your own corptes to take of too and of course Russia as many others cant use old junk more reliable for WW2 or dividing Europe by a wall Yourself.
We have to understand Iran position with Nuclear deal and must other items written in that agreement that we don’t know. Regardless , Iran must play better role and be more helpful in the war on terrorists in actions not just talk.