Iran to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia: Report | World News

Iran has reached a deal to buy advanced Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, state media said on Saturday, expanding ties to use Iran-made drones for Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“The Sukhoi-35 fighter jet is technically acceptable to Iran and Iran has finalized the purchase contract,” broadcaster IRIB quoted Iran’s mission to the United Nations as saying in New York.

The report did not include any confirmation from Russia of the deal, and details of the deal were not disclosed. The delegation said Iran had also inquired about purchasing military aircraft from several other unnamed countries, the delegation said, according to IRIB.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran last July, emphasizing closer ties in the face of Western pressure over the war in Ukraine.

Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said they were sent before Moscow invaded Ukraine last year. Moscow denies its forces use Iranian-made drones in Ukraine, although many have been shot down and recovered there.

The Iranian air force has just a few dozen attack aircraft: Russian jets and older American models bought before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

In 2018, Iran said it had begun production of locally designed Kowsar fighter jets for its air force. Some military experts believe the jet is a replica of the F-5, which was first produced in the United States in the 1960s.