Russia: Our Syria strikes out of Iran do not violate U.N. resolution 2231

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks to his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully (not seen) during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday there were no grounds to suggest Russia's decision to fly Syria bombing missions out of Iran violated U.N. Security Council resolution 2231. Lavrov said Russian aircraft had been flying out of Iran as a part of the Kremlin's anti-terrorist operation. No aircraft or supplies had been transferred to Tehran, he said. The U.N. resolution prohibits the supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran. The United States said on Tuesday it was checking whether the Russian flights had violated it. Russian SU-34 bombers based at Iran's Hamadan air base on Wednesday carried out another wave of strikes on Islamic State targets inside Syria for a second day. (Reporting by Alexander Winning; Writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Andrew Osborn)