For Second Day, Russia Launches Airstrikes Against ISIS From Iran Base

Russian Officials Claim Two Command Posts Destroyed, 150 ISIS Killed

For the second consecutive day, Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers flew out of the Hamaden Air Base in Iran and attacked ISIS targets in northeastern Syria. Yesterday’s strikes marked the first time Russia had flown any planes in the operation from a base other than bases inside Russia and Syria.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed today’s strikes had destroyed two ISIS “command posts” and killed over 150 ISIS fighters. There was no way to confirm these figures, though as with the US air war against ISIS, the figures tend to be inflated.

Iran’s National Security Council says the decision to let Russia share the Hamaden air base was a strategic one, and that it was increasing their cooperation against ISIS forces inside Syria. This is the first time Iran has allowed another country to use its territory for military operations since the 1979 revolution.

The move allows Russia considerable savings in fuel, and increased utility, as the planes coming out of Hamaden were too large to operate out of Russia’s smaller airfields inside Syria, and would’ve had to be deployed from inside Russia previously, a much further trip.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.