Several Russian cruise missiles landed in Iran, U.S. officials say
WASHINGTON -- As many as four of the 26 long-range cruise missiles that Russia said it fired at Syrian targets landed instead in Iran, two U.S. defense officials said Thursday. CBS News' Margaret Brennan also reports that the U.S. believes that multiple Russian cruise missiles missed Syria and landed within the borders of Iran.
Russians dispute the reports, saying all 26 missiles hit their targets.
The U.S. officials said it's unclear whether the errant missiles, launched from Russian ships in the Caspian Sea, caused any significant damage in Iran. One of the officials said the number of missiles that went off course was four. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Russian government said Wednesday it launched 26 cruise missiles, hitting targets in the Syrian provinces in the north and northwest. It made no mention of any missiles going astray. The missiles' intended flight paths took them over Iran and Iraq. Russian Defense ministry denies reports in a Facebook post and says all missiles found their targets.
The cruise missile attack was part of an expanding Russian military campaign in Syria that has deepened the divide between Moscow and Washington over how to approach the Syrian civil war and the presence there of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters.
The missiles also have added a new layer of uncertainty to efforts by the Pentagon to ensure the safety of U.S. and coalition pilots who are flying daily in Syria airspace. Russia also is flying attack and reconnaissance missions over Syria.
Russia says its intervention is aimed at helping the Syrian government defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group, but local activists and U.S. officials say the strikes have also targeted Western-backed rebels and have had the effect of propping up the government of President Bashar Assad.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday at least one U.S. military aircraft changed its route over Syria recently to avoid coming dangerously close to Russian warplanes.
A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said he could not provide details, including the number of times this has happened.
He said U.S. aircraft are still flying attack and other missions daily over Syria. But he acknowledged that the air operations have had to be adjusted since the Russians began flying.
Davis says this highlights the Pentagon's interest in talking further to Russian officials about ways to avoid accidents and potential unintended conflict in the sky over Syria.
One round of talks was held Oct. 1. No second session is scheduled.
CBS News Pentagon correspondent David Martin reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday demanded talks with Russia to keep each other's warplanes from colliding or attacking each other over Syria.
The Russians are mostly bombing rebels in the west who are fighting the Assad dictatorship. And the skies are getting very crowded.
Five days into its air campaign in Syria, Russia said its fighter jets targeted several ISIS positions on Tuesday.
But once again, some of the locations Russia says it hit is not in an area controlled by ISIS.
The U.S. says that what Moscow is really doing is propping up the Syrian regime by attacking its opponents, including some groups linked to al Qaeda but also moderate rebels who are backed by America.