Russia says it did not violate UN resolution by using airfield in Iran
The accusations against Russia of violating UN Security Council resolution 2231 for using an Iranian airfield are absolutely groundless, said a source at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Americans should read UN Security Council resolution 2231 more attentively,” he advised, as reported by TASS.
According to the Russian official the wording of the relevant paragraph, about supplying weapons to Tehran, has nothing to do with Russian aircraft in Iran. Later, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, stated that there is no reason to suspect Russia of a violation of resolution 2231. “In this case, there have been no supplies, no sales, and no transfer of military aircraft to Iran,” Lavrov explained.
Earlier, the US State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, stated that the use of an Iranian military base by Russia is a possible violation of the UN Security Council resolution.
According to Toner, the use of the Iranian military base to carry out airstrikes on the positions of the so-called Islamic State can run counter to UN Security Council resolution 2231. The document in question was adopted in 2015 and it regulates the implementation of the nuclear deal between the international community and Iran. It concerns the permissive procedure of arms supply to the country and also technologies for ballistic missiles approved by the Security Council.
IKonstantin Kosachev, head of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of Russia also stated that the use of the military base Hamadan by Russia does not violate the UN Security Council resolution.
"Indeed, in Paragraph 5 of Annex B of the resolution states that if the supply of weapons (including military aircraft) is carried out, and I quote, 'to Iran or for use in Iran or for the benefit of Iran' that would require the prior approval of the Security Council," Kosachev wrote on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Mark Toner noted that the use of the Iranian military base is unlikely to prevent cooperation between Washington and Moscow on the joint fight against terrorists in Syria. It was discovered that Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from the Russian Air Forces were deployed to the Hamadan base in Iran in order to carry out airstrikes on militant positions in Syria.