CNN claims that Russian missiles landed in Iran instead of hitting Isis targets in Syria are “blatant lies” and part of a campaign of psychological warfare, a top Iranian military commander said.

Citing anonymous US sources the news channel claimed four Russian cruise missiles fell in Iran instead of continuing toward Syria.

CNN said: "The US believes, based on intelligence reports of damage assessments, that some buildings were damaged and civilians may have been hurt."

The US officials provided no details of where the missiles might have landed. Reuters, Bloomberg, the BBC and AFP news agencies have also carried the report based on CNN's exclusive. US State Department spokesman John Kirby told Reuters he could not confirm CNN’s report.

Iranian general Musa Kamali said: "We have no reports of any Russian missiles crashing in Iran. All those media reports alleging that Russian missiles aiming at Syria hit Iran are blatant lies.

"If the people making those claims had any proof, they would have certainly presented it. The US made similar allegations in the past as part of their psychological warfare against whoever opposes their policies in the region."

Russian government said on Wednesday it launched 26 cruise missiles, hitting targets in the Syrian provinces in the north and north-west. It made no mention of any missiles going astray. The missiles' intended flight paths took them over Iran and Iraq.

The missile attack was part of an expanding Russian military campaign in Syria that has deepened the divide between Moscow and Washington over how to approach the Syrian civil war and the presence there of Isis militants.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that all the missiles had hit their targets. "Unlike CNN, we don’t distribute information citing anonymous sources, but show the very missile launches and the way they hit their targets almost in real time.

"The high precision strikes might have been unpleasant and surprising for our colleagues in the Pentagon but the fact is that the missiles launched from the ships hit their targets. Otherwise one would have to acknowledge that IS facilities – located at a considerable distance from each other – exploded all by themselves."

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A Russian SU-24M jet fighter takes off from an airbase Hmeimim in Syria (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) AP In this photo taken from Russian Defense Ministry official website on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, a Russian SU-34 bomber taxies at an air base Hmeimim in Syria. A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry has rejected claims that Russia in its airstrikes in Syria is targeting civilians or opposition forces. (AP Photo/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) AP In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, two Russian SU-25 ground attack aircrafts take off from an airbase Hmeimim in Syria. A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry has rejected claims that Russia in its airstrikes in Syria is targeting civilians or opposition forces. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) AP In this photo taken from Russian Defense Ministry official website on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, a Russian SU-24M jet fighter prepares to take off from an airbase Hmeimim in Syria. A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry has rejected claims that Russia in its airstrikes in Syria is targeting civilians or opposition forces. (AP Photo/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) AP A picture taken on October 5, 2015 shows Russian air force pilots and technicians checking a Russian Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighter at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 a bomb is released from Russian Su-24M jet fighter in Syria. NATO strongly criticized the Russian air campaign in Syria that began Wednesday. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) AP A picture taken on October 3, 2015 shows Russian air force technicians checking a Russian Su-34 fighter bomber at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on October 5, 2015 shows Russian air force pilots and technicians checking a Russian Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighter at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on October 3, 2015 shows a Russian army pilot leaving the cockpit of a Russian Sukhoi SU-25 ground attack aircraft at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on October 3, 2015 shows a Russian Sukhoi SU-24 bomber taking off from the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on October 3, 2015 shows a Russian Sukhoi SU-30 SM jet fighter standing on a runway at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images An image grab made from a video released by the Russian Defence Ministry on October 5, 2015 reportedly shows a Russian aircraft dropping bombs during an airstrike against Islamic State (IS) group's positions at an undisclosed location in Syria. Russia has launched air strikes on Syria, saying its intervention is against the jihadist IS group, while Turkey and its allies say it is targeting moderate regime opponents. AFP PHOTO / HO / RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS-/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on October 3, 2015 shows Russian Sukhoi SU-30 SM jet fighters landing on a runway at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia. AFP PHOTO / KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA / ALEXANDER KOTS *RUSSIA OUT*ALEXANDER KOTS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images This photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 shows an attack made from a fighter jet in Syria. Russian Defense Ministry describes the incident as an airstrike against an ISIS ammunition depot near Talbiseh settlement (Homs). The object is completely destroyed. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) AP In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015, an aerial view of a bomb explosion in Syria. According to information released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian aircraft have carried out 20 sorties in Syria in the past 24 hours. (AP Photo/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) AP In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015, an aerial view of a bomb explosion in Syria. According to information released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian aircraft have carried out 20 sorties in Syria in the past 24 hours. (AP Photo/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) AP In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015, an aerial view of a bomb explosion in Syria. According to information released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian aircraft have carried out 20 sorties in Syria in the past 24 hours. (AP Photo/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) AP / Facebook

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