Russia: missiles hit Syria, did not crash in Iran

Missiles launched from a Russian ship in the Caspian Sea reached their targets in Syria and did not crash in Iran, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

The Defence Ministry’s comment came after U.S. officials said four Russian cruise missiles had crashed in Iran. U.S. officials said the missiles had been fired at Syria from a Russian ship in the Caspian Sea on Wednesday.

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also told AFP that the missiles landed in Iran on Wednesday. The official was confirming a story first reported by CNN.

Moscow launched its bombing campaign in Syria last week, firing missiles from fighter jets and warships in the Caspian Sea, at targets it says belong to ISIS and other "terrorist" groups.

“Any professional knows that during these operations we always fix the target before and after impact. All our cruise missiles hit their target,” ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the situation in Syria in a phone call on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The two discussed coordination in the fight against ISIS and the necessity to avoid incidents in Syrian airspace where both Russia and the United States are flying independent bombing campaigns, the ministry said.