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.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.