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Tehran Confirms Su-35 Purchase From Russia
Iran has agreed to buy Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighters, a top military official says, disclosing the move as it also showcased homegrown advances in drone development.
“We are increasing the capacity of the air force with domestic and foreign equipment, and whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land, and naval force,” Brig. Gen. l Ali Shadmani, deputy coordinator of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, told the local military-affiliated DefaPress outlet on Jan. 27. He did not say how many aircraft Iran was planning to acquire.
Iran later tried to muddy the disclosure, deleting the reference to the Su-35. But the reference can still be found in Google cache, said Yuri Lyamin, a researcher at the Moscow-based defense think tank Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST).
Shadmani’s pronouncement is the first official confirmation of Tehran’s purchase of the Russian fighters that has long been suspected to be in the works. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the issue.
The deal became possible after the United Nations arms embargo against Iran was lifted in 2020. Iran’s mission to the U.N. says the purchase was technically approved by Tehran in 2023. To prepare for the Su-35’s arrival, Iran agreed to buy Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers, which are used by the Russia Air Force to train pilots to operate the larger Sukhoi fighters.
CAST’s Lyamin says Iran has shown it is adept at hiding new aircraft. The first pair of Yak-130s were flying in Isfahan in September 2023. Photos that appeared in December 2024 showed that Tehran had already received at least six aircraft.
CAST director Ruslan Pukhov added that Su-35 deliveries to Iran are likely to begin in 18-24 months, when Russian aircraft makers will be able to start fulfilling the order. Moscow’s defense industry is largely focused on addressing the country’s needs in its war with Ukraine.
The single-seat Su-35 is the most sophisticated midlife upgrade of the Flanker family, featuring thrust vectoring AL-41F1S engines, new avionics and N035 Irbis passive phased array radar. Its introduction would provide a meaningful boost to the combat capability of the Iranian Air Force, which still relies on a pre-Islamic Revolution inventory of Northrop F-5 and F-14 fighters and some Russian-made MiG-29 aircraft.
On Jan. 26, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also showcased a new super-heavy drone named Gaza at a large-scale military exercise.
The IRNA news agency said the UAV has a wingspan of 22 m (72 ft.) and a takeoff weight of 3,100 kg (6,834 lb). The aircraft is equipped with a pusher propeller and can fly at a speed of 350 km per hour (218 mph). The Gaza drone has a payload capacity of at least 500 kg, allowing it to carry up to 13 bombs. It has successfully hit eight targets during the exercise, the IRGC said.