Has Russia Finally Sold its Su-35s to Iran?

While rumors surrounding a potential Russian delivery of Su-35 fighters to Iran have swirled for years, reports recently suggest this transaction could already be underway. According to United 24 Media, Moscow has begun covertly constructing Flanker-E jets for its Middle East ally. Documents alleging that the airframes are currently being manufactured by Russian aviation factories, including Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant, Zvezda Research and Production Enterprise, and the Yakovlev Corporation, have been published by the outlet. This news follows other leaked internal documents from Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec that circulated in October, which outlined a massive $6.5 billion arms deal for Iran to procure four dozen Su-35s in the near future.

In 2023, Iranian Air Force commander Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi directly mentioned such a potential acquisition, noting that “Regarding the purchase of Su-35 fighter jets [from Russia]—we need them. But we do not know when they will be added to our squadron. This is related to the decision of [Iran’s] high-ranking officials.”

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