Russia to deliver Su-35 fighters to Iran
The cooperation between Russia and Iran in defense is strengthened: in March the Russian Su-35 fighters will be delivered to Tehran
Iran will receive Russian Su-35 fighters in 3 months.
Shahriar Heidari, a member of the National Security Committee of Tehran's parliament, told Tasnim news agency that the jets would arrive in Iran in the next Iranian year, which starts on March 21.
On the other hand, collaboration with Moscow "in the field of defense is not new" underlined the Iranian ambassador to Italy, Mohammad Reza Sabouri, in his first press conference after the presentation of credentials to President Sergio Mattarella last week .
Iran has developed closer ties with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine and has supplied Moscow with military drones for its war, prompting tougher sanctions and heavy condemnations from the United States and the European Union, Bloomberg reports. Before the start of the war in Ukraine, Tehran "had supplied a small number of drones to the Russians, but these aircraft have nothing to do with reports of unmanned aircraft shot down by Ukrainian forces", specified the Iranian diplomat in Rome. Thesis contradicted by the Ukrainian authorities and American intelligence who rather claim that the Iranian-made drones supplied to Russia played a "central role" in the attacks in Ukraine.
Returning to the supply of Russian fighters, Heydari did not specify the number of aircraft ordered. According to media reports, Iran will receive 24 highly maneuverable twin-engine fourth-generation fighters that will be used mainly for air superiority missions.
All the details.
RUSSIAN FIGHTERS ARE COMING TO IRAN
Heidari added that more Russian weapons systems will arrive in Iran in the near future. The Sukhoi Su-35 is a single-seat, twin-engine, highly maneuverable aircraft. Some of the fighters are expected to be based at the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Tactical Air Base (TAB) 8, located in the city of Isfahan in central Iran.
Iran has not acquired any new fighter jets in recent years, with the exception of a few Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters purchased in the 1990s.
DEFENSE COLLABORATION BETWEEN MOSCOW AND TEHRAN STRENGTHENS
In recent months, Iran and Russia have signed important agreements to strengthen their economic, commercial, energy and military cooperation.
IRAN SUPPLIED DRONES TO RUSSIA
And Tehran recently admitted to supplying drones to Russia, but said the transaction took place before the war in Ukraine started.
“Iran is neither with the East nor with the West – and it is not a slogan” the Iranian diplomat specified in Rome. “As regards the war in Ukraine, I reiterate that we are against the war. We made ourselves available to mediate between the two parties." On military collaboration with Moscow he then stated: "collaboration with Moscow in the field of defense is not new, before the start of the war Tehran supplied Russia with a small number of drones but they have nothing to do with the drones speak everyday in Ukraine. We complained to Moscow about the use of our drones in Ukraine and they denied the use,” added Mohammad Reza Sabouri at the press conference.
US FEARS
Since October, the United States has said its evidence showed that Iranian troops were assisting Russia with drone strikes in Ukraine.
Sullivan added that the United States and European nations have sanctioned Iranian manufacturers of the drones to "make these transactions more difficult." However, he acknowledged that preventing them completely would be "a challenge".
Two weeks ago, the Biden administration announced a series of new sanctions and additional measures against Iran's aviation and defense sectors. So Washington ups the ante in its campaign against Tehran for supplying Moscow with weapons for its war against Ukraine. "Iran has now become Russia's main military backer," said US Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
In early December, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) claimed that Russia is trying to help Iran. “What is beginning to emerge is at least the beginning of a real defense partnership between Russia and Iran, with the Iranians supplying drones to the Russians, who are killing Ukrainian civilians as we speak today,” he said in an interview. with PBS CIA chief William Burns, as Times of Israel reports.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/la-russia-consegnera-i-caccia-su-35-a-iran/ on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 11:15:20 +0000.