Iran announces final purchase of Su-35 fighter jets from Russia

Iran announced that the procurement procedures for the Russian Sukhoi-35 (Su-35) warplanes have been completed.

According to the news that Iranian state television based on Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), the purchase of Su-35 aircraft from Russia has been finalized.

It was reported that after the war between Iran and Iraq in 1988, Iran sent a request to some countries to purchase warplanes, and Russia responded positively to this request.

It was stated that after the UN arms embargo imposed on Iran as of 2007 was lifted in October 2020, attempts were made to procure Su-35 aircraft from Russia and finally the procurement procedures for the warplanes were completed.

The report did not provide information on when the purchase contract was concluded and how many Su-35s will be delivered from Russia to Iran.

According to the news in the country's media, Iran will first buy 24 warplanes from Russia.

In line with the nuclear agreement signed by Tehran in 2015 between permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and Germany, the international arms embargo applied for 13 years and the international travel ban on some Iranian officials was lifted in 2020.

The single-seat, twin-engine Su-35, designed by the Russian company Sukhoi, is used as a multi-purpose fourth-generation fighter.

Iran's Air Force inventory, which has not been able to purchase warplanes for a long time due to embargoes, has old US-made F-4, F-5 and F-14, as well as Russian Mig-29 and Su-24 warplanes.