Iran turns to Russia to modernise fighter jet fleet
The latest reports of Iran receiving 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets emerged through Western intelligence sources at the end of last year.
Shahriar Heidari, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, confirmed this in the middle of January in an interview with Iranian media.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force’s (IRIAF) is in dire need of modern air capabilities as it still largely relies on US-built fighter jets procured before the 1979 revolution.
In 2015, reports said the IRIAF wanted to procure Su-30s, but Tehran’s priorities were focused elsewhere at the time.
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