US says Russia rushed to use Iran base
Military official says Moscow may have set up air operation overnight, as a message to Washington
AP – US officials say the setup at the Iranian air base used by Russian bombers to strike militants in Syria was established very quickly, perhaps overnight.
One military official says the Russians flew four Tu-22 Backfire bombers to the Iranian air base along with a Russian cargo plane loaded with the munitions for the bombers just hours before the missions.
US officials say Washington was aware that Russia had talked about the possibility of flying planes out of Iran since late last year. But Moscow’s decision to do so on Tuesday came as a surprise.
That raises questions about whether the move was a strategic necessity or a political message from the Kremlin to Washington.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss diplomacy in public.