Amid Western concerns about Tehran and Moscow’s growing military cooperation, Iran said it had bought Russian-made Sukho-35 fighter jets. Iran’s Air Force has only a few dozen strike aircraft, including Russian jets, as well as aging US models, which have been achieved before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The new jets will increase Tehran’s military capabilities.
Ali Shadmani, deputy coordinator of the Khatam-OL-Ol-Nibia Central Headquarter, said, “The production of military equipment has accelerated and old systems are being retired and being replaced with modern and updated people.”
“Whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land and naval forces,” he said.
Shadmani did not specify if the jet has already been sent to Iran, but this is the first time a senior Tehran officer confirmed the purchase of SU -35 jets.
In November, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Tehran had finalized the system to buy Russian fighter jets.
Earlier this month, Iran and Russia also signed a comprehensive strategic partnership, not mentioning arms transfer, but both said the two would develop their “military-technical cooperation”. The deal reinforced relations between the two countries, such as both of them are facing growing geopolitical pressures.
The 20 -year deal was signed in Moscow by Iranian President Masood Peseshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This includes a section that neither the country will allow its region to use for any action that will endanger the safety of the other, nor will any party help any party to attack any country. .
Such a deal had a conversation for years, but current geo -political events made it an hour requirement. While the war in Ukraine has been stressed in the regional situation of Russia, Iran is struggling with western sanctions and weakening of several regional colleagues amid conflicts with Israel in the Middle East.
But of course, it was the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria in early December, which proved to be an important inspiration to strengthen the relationship between Tehran and Moscow. Both powers lost a prominent colleague in Al-Assad, making their power weakened in the broad Middle East.
