Iran said that Russian warplanes had stopped using an Iranian air base to bomb targets in Syria, a day after the Islamic regime accused Moscow of “showing off” by making public its use of the facility. Tehran’s abrupt announcement came less than a week after Russia revealed that a group of long-range Tupolev Tu-22 M3 bombers and Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bombers had taken off from Hamadan, south-west of Tehran, to carry out strikes in Syria. It was the first time a foreign state had used Iranian territory to attack a third country since at least the second world war. The use of the base surprised the west and supported the narrative that Russia was strengthening its position in the Middle East. But Tehran’s about-turn appeared to reflect a backlash to the move among Iranians.
Bahram Ghasemi, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, said on Monday that Russia’s use of the base was “temporary and co-ordinated”. “Russia has neither a base nor [military] stationed in Iran. The operation was temporary and is over for now,” he was quoted as saying by state media.