An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that Russia will stop using an Iranian air base for airstrikes in Syria for the time being.

Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in Tehran that the Russian airstrikes on militants in Syria were “temporary, based on a Russian request.”

He also said the strikes were carried out with “mutual understanding and with Iran’s permission,” and that the Russian mission “is finished, for now.”

Ghasemi reiterated that Russia “has no base in Iran.”


His remarks reflect Iranian authorities’ displeasure about the extent of publicity that Russia’s use of the Iranian air base got last week.

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