Parliamentary speaker says base is only used for refuelling.

Flights of Russian warplanes from the Iranian airbase in Hamedan have not been suspended, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on August 23.

“The flights haven’t been suspended. Iran and Russia are allies in the fight against terrorism,” Larijani said. He added that Iran’s Shahid Nojeh air base in Hamedan is only “used for refueling,” not for permanent deployment.

The speaker responded to a statement from MP Mahmud Sadeghi that 20 lawmakers had sent a letter to the parliament’s presidium demanding explanations about the use of the airbase.

“The request will be certainly considered,” Larijani said.

Last week for the first time ever, Russia’s military used an airfield in Iran to attack terrorists in Syria. Tupolev-22M3 and Sukhoi-34 front-line bombers participated in the raid. Earlier, these aircraft flew sorties from airdromes in Russia and front-line bombers from the Hmeymim base in Syria.

On August 22, Iran’s Foreign Ministry official spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in Tehran that Russia stopped using the base in Iran.

First published by TASS

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.