Last week, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stressed that Moscow had consulted with Tehran before it prepared itself for conducting airstrikes against ISIL positions in different parts of Syria.
“Iran was consulted about the anti-terrorism combat in Syria before the Russian air raids started on ISIL positions in Syria,” Larijani said in a joint press conference with Polish Senate Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz in Tehran.
It was back in September that a Syrian opposition politician emphasized his country's vital need for Tehran and Moscow's military assistance in war on terrorism.
“The partnership of these two countries [Russia and Iran] in fighting regional terrorism is needed,” Noufel Noufel, the secretary-general of Syria's Democratic Vanguard Party (Al-Talia'a Democratic Party), told FNA.
He further said, “The military support by Tehran and Moscow for the Damascus government is nothing new because Syria has had age-old and broad-based cooperation with Iran and Russia based on mutual respect.”
He noted that Russia took action in Syria after seeing the lack of seriousness on part of the US-led coalition in fight against ISIL.
Russia’s Sukhoi Su-25, Su-24M and Su-34 attack aircraft, with the support of Su-30 jets, have been conducting precision airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria since September 30, following a request from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
