WorldTEHRAN, AFP -Iran said Monday that Russian raids on jihadists in Syria from one of its airbases had ended for now, after accusing Moscow of “showing off” when it revealed the bombing runs. They conducted it and they are gone now,” foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in Tehran. The Russian ambassador to Tehran, Levan Dzhagaryan, said Monday all Russian planes have left Iran's air base in Hamedan but that nothing prevents them from using it again in the future. 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. They were a major shift, significantly shortening flight-times for Russian warplanes, allowing them to carry increased firepower.

Source: Sunday Times August 22, 2016 12:11 UTC