In what could be bad news for Iran, there are speculative reports that the much-awaited
Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets that the country was set to receive from Russia might never
be delivered.
In January this year, Iranian officials revealed that they had placed an order for Russian
24 4.5-gen, twin-engine, Su-35 fighters and anticipated receiving them in three months.
Shahriar Heidari, a member of the parliament’s National Security Committee, said the jets
will arrive in Iran in the Iranian year, which typically starts on March 21.
However, seven months after that announcement, the Russian Su-35s are yet to be delivered
to the Iranian Air Force.
When asked when the country would start receiving the Su-35 fighter jet from Russia, the country’s
defense minister Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani said the state could manufacture combat aircraft
at home, according to a report by Iran International.
According to Iranian media and experts, the statement implied a potential change.
Reluctant to provide more details for security reasons, Ashtiani said, “At some point,
we made a deal for the purchase, but we came to the conclusion that we can produce (fighter
jets) in the country.”
The comments were soon read as an implicit confirmation that the long-sought Russian
Sukhoi Su-35 fighter plane purchase deal had fallen through.
While there was no official word from the defense ministries of either Iran or Russia,
social media was full of speculations.
However, the Iranian defense minister added that the relevant authorities were “investigating
the situation,” and the purchase could be reconsidered if the authorities deem it necessary.
There were no comments from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) on the matter, at least when
writing this report.
Earlier, even before Ashtiani’s comments, journalist Babak Taghvaee tweeted that commander
of the Iranian Air Force, Brig Gen Vahedi, had told an unnamed source accessed by him
that: “For now, General Staff of the Armed Forces has opposed procurement of Su-35SE
multirole fighter jets from Russia as Russian government refuses to transfer technology
for production of their parts in Iran & also to provide the knowledge for maintaining the
aircraft domestically for the next 30 years.”
Babak said Vahedi claims that the Russians merely want to sell the 25 Su-35E aircraft
Egypt had already ordered without providing adequate maintenance, weaponry, or spare parts
support.
Additionally, they reject Iran’s request for 12 Su-35SE simulators and Su-30SME2 two-seat
multirole fighter aircraft.
The recent comments by the Iranian defense minister led to a host of issues being cited
as reasons by military watchers and analysts for the agreement’s collapse.
For instance, according to some military experts, there are rumors that Israel may have had
a say in Russia’s choice to deny Iran its modern fighter jets.
This may become even more significant and plausible given that Israel has refrained
from sending any military aid to Ukraine, despite consistent appeals and diplomatic
pressure from the US-led NATO.
Last month, there were reports that Israeli officials argued with their Russian counterparts
over Russia’s expanding military alliance with Iran and the potential for Russia to
give Iran cutting-edge weaponry.
In a meeting with Israeli MPs behind closed doors on June 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu revealed the “open and frank” conversation with Russian authorities.
Even though there is no confirmation as to why the Russian jets have not been delivered
to Iran yet, it does seem to be a setback to the Iranian Air Force, which may have been
left wanting.
The emphasis of the defense minister on the domestic production of fighter jets seems
to be an attempt at salvaging the massive setback in case Russia is dithering on the
supply of Su-35 fighter jets.
The last time Iran purchased a fighter jet was a MiG-29 from Russia in 1990, over three
decades ago.
In addition, the Iranian Air Force mainly uses locally modified F-4 Phantom II, F-14
Tomcat, and F-5E/F Tiger II planes from the Cold War era.
It is consequently more difficult to maintain and operate these archaic aircraft.
Therefore, purchasing the cutting-edge fighter jet was projected to significantly upgrade
the aging Iranian Air Force.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there has been a connection between
Russia’s probable delivery of Su-35 jets to Iran and the increased military cooperation
between the two states.
In December 2022, Western intelligence agencies revealed that Russia planned to offer Iran
24 Su-35 aircraft in trade for “kamikaze drones.”
Cairo signed a deal with Moscow in early 2019 to procure Su-35 warplanes.
Later, Egypt abandoned its plans to purchase the aircraft, most likely due to the prospect
of American sanctions.
With strengthening military relations between Moscow and Tehran, it was believed that the
latter would receive the jets meant for Cairo.