The deployment of Russian bombers to the Hamadan airfield in Iran does not violate UN Security Council resolution 2231, Iranian lawyer Amir Hossein Norbakhsh told Sputnik in response to US State Department comments, adding that the US does not give Moscow and Tehran due credit for their counterterrorism efforts.
Earlier this week, State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said that US lawyers were looking at the details of the agreement between Russia and Iran to determine whether it went against the UNSC resolution that prohibits the supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran.
In this photo taken on Aug. 15, 2016, a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber stands on the tarmac at an air base near Hamedan, Iran
© AP Photo/ WarfareWW
In this photo taken on Aug. 15, 2016, a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber stands on the tarmac at an air base near Hamedan, Iran
Amir Hossein Norbakhsh emphasized that the Iranian constitution prohibits a foreign state from establishing a full-fledged military base in the country.
“Many wrongly assume that Russia established a large-scale military base at Hamadan. This is not the case,” he explained. “The Russian Aerospace Forces are merely using the airfield and its technical capabilities to carry out mission in support of the counterterrorism operation in Syria.”
In this photo taken on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber stands on the tarmac while another plane lands at an air base near Hamedan, Iran.
© AP Photo/ WarfareWW
Russia Uses Airbase in Iran as a Safeguard Against ‘Satellite Surveillance’
The decision to allow Russian bombers to use the airfield was approved at the session of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). It is a right granted to the SNSC by the constitution, the expert added.
In other words, Russia’s military presence in Hamadan does not violate Iranian laws. This is why US State Department’s “suspicions” with regard to Russia are “groundless,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier said that the deployment was legal since Moscow was not supplying Iran with military aircraft for its own internal use.
“The United States has turned a blind eye on how dangerous Daesh and other terrorist groups (some of which received assistance from the US) are to the region and the world. At the same time, Washington does not give credit to Russia and Iran for their massive contribution to tackling the threat that terrorists pose,” he added.
Toner also referred to Russia’s decision to deploy its bombers to Iran as “unfortunate but not surprising or unexpected” during the State Department briefing on Tuesday. Amir Hossein Norbakhsh called these comments “childishly ridiculous.”
In this photo taken on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber stands on the tarmac at an air base near Hamedan, Iran.
© AP Photo/ WarfareWW
In this photo taken on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber stands on the tarmac at an air base near Hamedan, Iran.
Russia and Iran, he said, have long been strategic political allies with shared interests and goals. Their cooperation is based on numerous agreements and laws.
“Activities of Russia and Iran in Syria are a fine case of an efficient political cooperation without unnecessary fanfare. Less talk, more action! Iran is located close to the epicenter of the terrorist threat. It is determined to perform thorough investigations and detain potential terrorists. Iranian authorities recently arrested Daesh members in the province of Kermanshah,” he detailed.
