Iran parliament challenges military over Russian use of air base

Tehran: Iran’s parliament on Tuesday pushed back against the military over it dismissing civilian oversight following Russia’s use of an Iranian air base to launch air strikes in Syria.

The rare parliamentary response is part of the larger give-and-take between civilians and the country’s powerful security services since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

It also highlights the public unpopularity of allowing Russia to use the air base, which marked the first time since the revolution that a foreign military has used Iran as a staging ground.

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani brought up the topic on Tuesday as lawmakers gathered in Tehran for the body’s opening session, a day after Iranian officials announced Russia’s use of the Shahid Nojeh Air Base has stopped for the time-being.

The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Larijani as criticising Iranian Defence Minister Gen Hossein Dehghan for not “speaking properly” on lawmakers’ concerns.

Dehghan over the weekend said Russia’s use of the air base was not their concern, though parliament has oversight of all government ministries.

Dehghan “should have observed the ethics of governing,” Larijani said.

Larijani added that the mission wouldn’t have needed prior parliamentary permission as it was “temporary and only for refuelling.”

Three other semi-official news agencies quoted Larijani as saying the Russian flights from the air base, located about 50km north of the city of Hamedan, “have not stopped.” IRNA did not report the remark.