Russian warplanes bombed Aleppo at Iran’s request to assist its military advisers on the ground in the flashpoint Syrian city, a senior Iranian official said yesterday.
Ali Shamkhani, the top official co-ordinating security and political affairs between Tehran and its allies, Moscow and Damascus, was quoted by state television saying Iran called in Russian strikes “next to the land operation” in Aleppo.
“Iran has brought the powerful Russia along due to its need to co-operate with Syria” in the fight against militants, added Shamkhani.
Iran and Russia are key backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but Tehran has remained relatively guarded about its precise involvement in the conflict.
Russia surprised the international community last week when it announced that its warplanes had flown out of Iran’s Hamedan base to conduct strikes against targets in Syria.
That announcement prompted Iranian defence minister General Hossein Dehghan to criticise Russia’s “showing off and inconsiderate attitude”.
An injured Syrian child cries as she awaits treatment at a makeshift hospital following a reported air strike on the rebel-held town of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, yesterday.
