American General Expresses Concern Over Iran-Russia Military Cooperation

The commander of the U.S. Air Force in the Middle East, General Alexus Grinkovich, expressed concern on Wednesday, September 20, during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi about the military cooperation between Iran and Russia. Grinkovich stated that this cooperation could expand from Syrian airspace to other areas, creating serious risks for regional security. He added that Iran is exporting military drones to Russia, which could make Iran's armament programs more dangerous with Russian assistance. He also mentioned that Russian fighter jet maneuvers in Syrian airspace have become more perilous in recent months, prompting the U.S. to increase its operational air force presence in the region. Grinkovich remarked, "It is concerning that Russia has turned to Iran for the ammunition and weapons it needs. This means Russia is indebted to Iran, and I am worried about the level and quality of cooperation between the two countries." He noted that Russia is modernizing Iranian drones, and this technology may return to Iran, making Iranian drones more dangerous. Additionally, Russia may make the conditions for American aircraft flights over Syria and Iraq more hazardous to repay its debt to Iran. Regarding the dangerous maneuvers of Russian pilots in Syrian airspace, Grinkovich stated, "Since we exposed the unprofessional behavior of Russian pilots by releasing images related to these incidents, the number of such occurrences has decreased. However, I still consider their maneuvers unprofessional as they approach our drones excessively contrary to established protocols." Russia and the U.S. still adhere to a framework agreement known as 'deconfliction lines' in Syrian airspace, aimed at preventing direct conflict or excessive proximity of aircraft from both sides. Grinkovich added that about 90% of the air operations of both sides comply with these regulations, but there are disagreements over the remaining 10%. A joint campaign by Alireza Akhundi and the organization 'Alliance Against a Nuclear Iran' called for stopping deals with the IRGC. The U.S. sanctioned individuals and entities in four countries due to their connections with the Iranian aircraft manufacturing company. The U.S. stated that the Iranian regime continues to lie about its military relations with Russia. Ukraine claims to have shot down 22 Iranian 'Shahed' drones in the skies over Odessa. Moscow defended the military relations between Russia and the Islamic Republic.