Iran concludes a contract to purchase Russian Su-35
Iran has announced that it has concluded a contract with Russia to purchase Su-35 fighter jets, local media reported, despite the United States’ warning against military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
“After the ban imposed by the United Nations on the purchase of conventional weapons was lifted in October 2020, Iran concluded a contract for the purchase of Su-35 combat aircraft,” IRNA news agency said, quoting the representative of the Islamic Republic to the United Nations.
The Iranian news agency didn’t provide further details about the contract, but Iran and Russia have been in talks for years for this purpose.
The United States threatens to impose harsh sanctions on any country that deals with Iranian forces, especially the Revolutionary Guards, which is included in Washington’s list of terrorist organizations.
In parallel, Washington warns of a dangerous escalation in military cooperation between Iran and Russia, at a time when Tehran is accused of providing Moscow with drones to use in Ukraine, which Iran denies.
IRNA news agency indicated that the Su-35 aircraft were technically acceptable to Iran, and Russia announced that it was ready to sell them to the Islamic Republic”.
Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtani said on Monday that Tehran is still following up on the purchase of the Su-35, but that it hasn’t yet received the equipment.
The Iranian Air Force owns about 300 Russian combat aircraft (Mig-29 and Su-25), Chinese (F-7), US (F-4, F-5 and F-14) and French (Mirage F-1), in addition to Saegheh aircraft which is an Iranian replica version of the US F-5.
Tehran and Moscow concluded a contract in 2007 for the delivery of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran, but in 2010 Moscow suspended the sale in implementation of a UN Security Council resolution targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
In 2015, shortly after reaching an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, Moscow again allowed the delivery of S-300 missiles to Iran.
The Iranian Ministry of Defense announced in May 2016 that Iran now possesses the strategic S-300 system.
