Russia will supply 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets “very soon” to Iran, whose air force is lacking high-quality military aircraft, Israeli television channel i24NEWS reported, citing unnamed Western intelligence sources.
The report says that “Russians were looking for buyers for the unsold surplus, and it looks like Tehran will be getting those planes very soon."
i24NEWS reported that Iranian pilots are already being trained to fly Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.
Neither Tehran nor Moscow has commented on the report.
The report comes amid mounting evidence that Iran has supplied drones to Russia, helping it to launch targeted attacks on Ukraine’s energy sites and kill scores of civilians.
On Dec 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had recently received 250 new Shahed-136 drones from Tehran.
Apart from drones, Moscow is also asking Tehran once again for surface-to-surface missiles as it struggles to maintain its weapons stocks, the Associated Press reported on Dec. 7, citing unnamed U.S. and UN officials.
Despite overwhelming evidence, Iran has denied providing Russia with weapons since Feb. 24.
