REUTERS/Alexei Nikolsky/RIA Novosti/Kremlin
According to Fox, Russia has conducted unregistered cargo flights into Syria twice a day for the past 10 days. These flights delivered Iranian weapons to the Russian-operated air base outside of Latakia, Syria. Latakia is a strategic city on the Mediterranean coast, within the part of Syria still controlled by the Assad regime.
Russia is conducting airstrikes in support of the Assad regime using planes that it's based in Latakia. Since the end of September, the Syrian military - bolstered through Russian air support and an influx of Iranian-backed militia members - have pushed outwards from Latakia towards Aleppo, pre-conflict Syria's most populous city, in an effort to roll back a series of rebel victories in the neighboring areas.
Fox reports that the Iranian weapons transfers have been coordinated by Iranian top covert operative Qassem Soleimani and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian
Reuters
Marine Corps. Gen. Joseph Dunford confirmed at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that Russian aircraft had flown through Iraqi airspace, but that it was "not at the understanding of the Iraqi government."
Despite Dunford's statements, it appears that Iraq, Iran, Russia are all on a similar page when it comes to the situation in Syria. The four countries also began sharing intelligence at the end of September about ISIS movements and locations.