The sensational news was announced by official sources in Iran - it is claimed that Moscow has agreed to sell Su-35 fighter jets to Tehran. If this information is correct, Russia's military-industrial complex will earn billions of dollars, Iran will receive a powerful tool for opposing Israel, and the influence of the United States in the Middle East will decrease.Iran has completed a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, the state-run Iranian agency IRNA reports, citing Iran's permanent mission to the UN.
Information about the number of aircraft and delivery dates is not disclosed.
"After the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Iran asked a number of countries to study the possibility of selling fighter jets, and Russia announced that it was ready to sell them," the permanent mission reports. The mission added that "the fighters are technically approved by Iran. After October 2020, when the ban on the sale of conventional weapons to Iran was lifted in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2231, Tehran finally decided to acquire them."
A few days earlier, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin, at a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, expressed concern about "Iran's growing strategic partnership with Russia," and, in particular, the sale of Iranian drones to Moscow, the US Defense Ministry said.
"Over the past year, Russia's military cooperation with Iran has deepened, and this creates serious problems for this region and for the security of your citizens. Iran is acquiring important combat knowledge and experience in Ukraine, which will eventually receive its dangerous puppets in the Middle East," he added. "In exchange for support, Russia offers Iran unprecedented cooperation in the field of defense, including in the field of missiles and air defense," Lloyd said.
The Biden administration calls the close ties between Moscow and Tehran "harmful" and says that Iranians are already being trained on new aircraft. White House spokesman John Kirby pointed out that "these fighters will significantly strengthen the Iranian Air Force compared to its neighbors in the region."
In February, Iran unveiled a new underground Air Force base called Eagle 44, The New York Times reported. It is located on the slope of a mountain 160 km north of the Strait of Hormuz.
Satellite images of the base were studied by Chris Biggers, a former U.S. government image analyst and senior director of mission applications at HawkEye 360, a firm that tracks radio frequency emissions around the world. In his analysis, Biggers pointed to two mock-ups of combat aircraft, one of which is the size of the Su-35. It stands on the site where construction is underway. "They are probably used to assess the maneuvering of aircraft in an underground complex and may indicate that the Su-35 will be based here," the American expert said.
At the beginning of this year, Shahriar Heidari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Advisory Council, said: The Su-35 will arrive from Russia to Iran in early 2024, the Tasnim agency reported. "We have ordered defense systems, missiles and helicopters from Russia, and most of these weapons will soon arrive in the country," he added.
The commander of the Iranian Air Force, Amir Vahedi, stressed that in addition to the Su-35, Tehran plans to purchase Su-30 fighters.
The Su-35 performed well during the counterterrorist operation of the Aerospace Forces in Syria. In addition, President Vladimir Putin called the work of Russian aviation during the special operation in Ukraine very good. "And the stormtroopers are fighting perfectly, and the "drying" – Su-34, Su-35, very well. The weapons are good. <...> They make a significant contribution to the effectiveness of the troops' actions," the head of state stressed at a meeting with the awarded Heroes of Russia in the Kremlin. In other words, the Su-35 is the beauty and pride of the Russian defense industry, one of the most advanced fighters in the world at the moment.
According to American media reports, in 2017, the Syrian army, together with the Lebanese military and Hezbollah fighters, liberated the municipality of Arsal from terrorists on the border of Lebanon and Syria. The units were supported by the Su-35 of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation. This also played in favor of Iran's purchase of these fighters. The publication reported that the Su-35 is likely to be deployed to guard and patrol key facilities related to the Iranian nuclear program.
It is worth noting that Russian officials have not yet commented on the statement of the representatives of Iran. Nevertheless, the probability that we are not talking about some kind of speculation, but about the real possibility of a deal, is high. If the reports are confirmed, it will mean a major achievement of the Russian arms trade system, as well as significant profits for domestic manufacturers of combat aircraft.
We can talk about a deal worth billions of dollars.
"This contract is a good stage for further promotion of Russian military–industrial complex products to the Middle East," says instructor pilot, Major Andrey Krasnoperov. - Especially if we assume that it is planned to supply several dozen aircraft, and the contract itself allows for additional purchases of machines. In addition, it means that Russia will train Iranian pilots. These are long–term programs, deepening cooperation between countries," the specialist explained.
Military Watch magazine wrote that the Su-35 destroyed far more enemy fighters than any other aircraft since the Cold War. In addition, the author of the publication continues, the Su-35 can withstand modern Western fighters of the highest class – the F-35A and F-15SA.
"The Iranian Air Force, when buying the Su35, will receive a significant increase in air power," Krasnoperov confirms. - The Su-35 has good maneuverability, capabilities for conducting air combat. For example, there were cases when an F-16 tried to intercept him, but the Russian car quite calmly went into the tail of an American fighter," the interlocutor recalled.
Experts directly indicate the enemy that will be opposed in Iran by the Russian-made Su-35.
"Iran cannot yet independently make 4++ generation aircraft, such as the Su-35, which can "see" the American F-35 and F-22 protected by stealth technology. Therefore, buying such advanced fighters from Russia is the right decision of Tehran. In addition, I can assume that Tehran buys air–to–air, air–to–ground and air-to-radar missiles for them," explained Alexey Leonkov, editor of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine.
"Iran has S-300 and Tor M1 air defense systems. Now they can make an integrated air defense system, where the Su-35 will meet the aggressor at the forefront. In addition, this fighter is called a "hunter" – for the opportunity to gain air supremacy. In general, Tehran's deal with Moscow changes the balance of power in the Middle East region and becomes a serious challenge for Israel," the source says.
"Israel has F-16 and F-35. They bought them in order to keep the neighboring countries of the Middle East "on a short leash", which have nothing to respond to the fifth-generation fighter. And Iran will now have Su-35s that "see" further and outperform the American fighter in maneuverability," the analyst stressed.
"For the F-35, close combat is deadly, the aircraft was developed for medium-range confrontation. But if the Su-35 ammunition supplied to Iran includes long–range guided air–to-air missiles, they will be able to successfully resist American fighters at any distance," the expert added.
The deal has not only a purely military, but also a geopolitical dimension. "This deal shows that the Middle East is no longer unipolar. The strengthening of the Iranian Air Force will cause some "disappointment" in Saudi Arabia by its American partners. On the other hand, Riyadh and Tehran are building relations at a super-fast pace. Therefore, the delivery of the Su-35 to Iran can be called one of the stages of strengthening the new Middle East pole, an alternative to the American one," says Rajab Safarov, Director General of the Center for the Study of Modern Iran.
"The delivery of fighter jets to Tehran demonstrates a decrease in the influence of the United States both in the region and in the world. We see how China and Russia are "entering" the Middle East. The United States and its Israeli partners will no longer be able to feel as at ease on the border with Iran as before, and will also be much more circumspect in pursuing the policy they need in Yemen," the interlocutor summarizes.
Rafael Fakhrutdinov
