The Russian Su-35 fighter jets that Moscow produced for the Egyptian Air Force will now be sold to Iran. Within three months, Iran is set to receive the Russian Su-35 fighter jets.
Egypt, which recently had ordered 24 Russian Su-35 fighter jets, had later refused to accept them citing US sanctions. The planes are scheduled to be delivered in March 2023.
In a statement, Shahriar Haidari, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, said the ordered Russian Su-35 fighter jets will be delivered to Tehran in three months confirming the news report. In a statement Haidari told the Tesnim agency that the Russian defence industry equipment that will be arriving soon.
“The Su-35 fighter jets that Iran ordered from Russia will arrive in the country early next year [starting from March 21 according to the Hijri Shamsi calendar],” said Haidari.
He went on to add, other defense systems, including missiles, and helicopters that were ordered from Russia are set to arrive in the country soon.
In recent years, the news that Iran will purchase Su-30 fighter jets from Russia has come to the fore. In September 2022, Iran’s Air Force Commander Hamid Vahidi had said that “they will buy the Su-35 from Russia, and buying the Su-30 is not on the agenda.”
Incidentally, Iran, uses the Hijri Shamsi calendar where March 21 is considered to be the first day of the new year.
The development marks a deepening of Iran Russia relations, which have become very close in recent months, especially in the field of the defense industry collaborations.
Recently Iran had sent Shahed-136 munitions to Russia with the latter using them to target foreign troops in Ukrainian cities. In return, Russia has supplied the defense equipment that Iran had requested.
