US, Russia to seek Syria deal in Geneva next week

Much of that system has been delivered, Iranian officials have said. Iran is also a major supporter of Assad.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A prominent Iranian lawmaker confirmed Wednesday that Russian Federation is using an Iranian air base for airstrikes in Syria, as Moscow said another wave of airstrikes launched from the Islamic Republic struck the east of the war-ravaged country.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted yesterday that using the Iranian base did not breach a UN Security Council resolution requiring its prior approval for the supply, sale or transfer of warplanes to Iran.

The United States and Russian Federation will try again to stop Syria’s civil war and forge a new counterterrorism partnership when their top diplomats meet next week in Geneva, U.S. officials said Thursday.

At the same time the chairman of Iran’s parliament Ali Larijani stressed that Russian Federation does not have a permanent military base within the Islamic Republic.

“It is against our rules to provide advice to the leadership of the U.S. State Department, but it’s hard to resist a recommendation for some State Department representatives to check their logic and knowledge of fundamental documents of worldwide law”, Konashenkov said. Russian Federation has carried out strikes in support of government troops there, activists said. “We haven’t made an assessment”, he added.

The move marks the first “significant stationing” of Russian troops in Iran since World War II, according to The Associated Press.

On Aug. 16-17 Russian planes took off from Iran’s Hamadan airdrome to hit facilities of the terrorist organizations Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) in Syria.

He specified that the jets were using the Nojeh airbase in Iran’s western Hamadan province to refuel. “It says that warplanes are “sold, ‘ “transferred” or ‘used” inside Iran only with the permission of the U.N. Security Council”.

“This is the first time after World War II that such a facility is put at the disposal of a foreign country”, said Mr. Falahatpisheh, adding that Russian Federation had been both a friend and foe of Iran in the past.

The United States is looking at whether Russian Federation has violated a U.N. Security Council resolution on military dealings with Tehran by using an Iranian air base to carry out strikes inside Syria, the State Department said on Wednesday.

Russian defence officials rubbished the suggestion on Wednesday, saying USA official should brush up on the wording of the resolution. Iran has provided ground forces that work with local allies while Russian Federation provides air power.

Secretary of State John Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday to discuss the operations. “This is an effort to shift the balance of power back in their and Assad’s favor”.

The situation around Aleppo has grown so dire that a group of the city’s doctors wrote a letter to Mr. Obama last week begging for shipments of medical supplies. “They informed us they were coming through”. Moscow’s direct involvement against ISIS “is not a problem”, he said, “but our concern is that it might harm the moderate opposition (to the Assad regime, Ed.) and civilians”. He has visited Aleppo five times since the war began. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Iran allowed refugees into the country and backed mujahedeen rebel fighters – as did the U.S.

Toner, however, defended the U.S. campaign. “Too costly at this particular moment”, he said.

“Fundamentally, this isn’t helpful – and it’s not helpful because, you know, it continues to complicate an already risky situation in and around Aleppo, when you have Russian Federation using Iranian air bases as a way to carry out more intensive bombing runs that are hitting – continue to hit – civilian populations”.