Iran has recently finalized a deal to purchase Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, deepening their defense and economic cooperation, in defiance of sweeping sanctions and coercive measures. According to Iran’s mission to the United Nations, Russia was ready to sell the fighter jets to Iran, who after October 2020, and the end of Iranian restrictions on conventional weapons purchases, finally agreed to buy them. However, the mission did not specify the exact time of the deal, nor the time Russia would deliver the fighter jets to Iran, stating the information was classified.
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Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Both Iran and Russia have been targeted by US-led sanctions in recent years, but they continue to strengthen their economic ties. The long-standing UN ban on the sale of arms from/to Iran was terminated on October 18, 2020, under the terms of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was passed to uphold the 2015 nuclear deal. The termination of the ban came after the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump failed to renew the Iranian arms embargo through a resolution at the UN Security Council.
An Iranian lawmaker told Tasni News in January that Russia will begin delivering the Su-35 fighters in early Solar Hijri calendar year 1402, which starts from Mar. 21.
Apart from the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Iran has also ordered other military equipment from Russia, including air defense systems, missile systems, and helicopters. The fighter jets, being fourth-generation twin-engine, super-maneuverable, and technically acceptable to Iran, would provide a significant boost to the country’s military capabilities. Despite the lack of transparency in the details of the deal, the purchase of these fighter jets demonstrates Iran’s determination to bolster its defense and economic cooperation with Russia, in defiance of the Western sanctions and coercive measures.
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