MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry has advised US Department of State officials to check their knowledge of international law following the latest statements regarding the use of an airdrome in Iran by Russian warplanes, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has told the media.

On Tuesday and Wednesday Russian planes took off from Iran’s Hamadan airdrome to hit facilities of the terrorist organizations Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) in Syria. The US Department of State said shortly afterwards that it was looking into whether Russia’s actions were in compliance with the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231.

"It is against our rules to give advice to the US Department of State. But one finds it really hard to refrain from a recommendation to look into whether Department of State officials follow any logic and know fundamental international legal documents well enough. Such testing should begin with the knowledge of the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2331, which requires getting UN Security Council’s consent to the sale, handover and use of combat planes inside Iran," Konashenkov said.

Also, he said the Russian Defense Ministry would like US Department of State officials to remember that Syria was a sovereign country and to stop to think if any provision of the UN Charter, any UN Security Council resolution or bilateral treaty between Syria and the United States allowed US planes and combat drones to bomb its territory from Turkey’s Incirlik base or any other foreign military base."

"We are certain that after he passes such a test, Mr. Michael Toner (US Department of State deputy spokesman) will no longer feel regret about the elimination of Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in Syria," Konashenkov said.