Iran on Wednesday denied that Russia had established a permanent military base in the country from which it would launch airstrikes on Syria. The Speaker of Iran's parliament issued the denial a day after Moscow announced that it had launched attacks on Syrian targets from within the Islamic Republic.

While Iran’s constitution disallows foreign nations from establishing bases in the country, Speaker Ali Larijani said that Tehran had “cooperated with Russia, as it is our ally on regional issues, especially on Syrian issues”. “We have good cooperation with Russia and we say it loud and clear,” Larijani was quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency as having said.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Russian planes flew a bombing sortie from within Iran against positions in Syria held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant for a second day. The Russian defence ministry was quoted as saying that over 150 militants were killed in the strikes. Both Iran and Russia have provided support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with the Kremlin having begun its bombing campaign against Syrian rebel groups and the Islamic State in September last year.