Russia has stopped using air bases in Iran for strikes in Syria after a short-lived campaign from the country. Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan called Russia’s publicizing the use of the air bases a “betrayal of trust,” saying on Monday that Russian aircraft were not there to stay, according to Reuters. There was no written agreement, and the bases were only used for refueling, Iranian officials reiterated. Russia last week said it used the Shahid Nojeh Air Base near Hamedan to refuel before striking in Syria. The US State Department said the move was “unfortunate but not surprising,” and questioned whether it violated UN Security Resolutions on combat aircraft in Iran.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.