Iranian Army Spokesperson Says Su-35 Jets Will Arrive After the War

An Iranian army spokesperson has said Tehran completed its purchase of Russian Su-35 combat aircraft and will receive them after the war, according to a report published on Saturday, October 31. The statement describes a future delivery, rather than announcing that the aircraft have arrived in Iran. The spokesperson was not named in the report, which supplied neither an aircraft total nor a calendar date for delivery. It also did not specify which war the delivery condition referred to or include a Russian statement confirming the timetable. The reported announcement therefore leaves the timing and size of the shipment unspecified. Iran had announced a purchase agreement years earlier. In March 2023, its mission to the United Nations said it had agreed to buy Russian Su-35 fighters after conventional-arms restrictions ended in October 2020. The mission said the aircraft met its technical requirements, but did not disclose when the agreement was reached or when Russia would deliver them. It said further details of the deal were classified. Iranian military cooperation has also drawn regional security objections. In a joint statement issued after talks in Riyadh in February 2023, the United States and Gulf Cooperation Council members expressed concern about Iran's expanding military cooperation with state and non-state actors. They described Iranian arms proliferation as a serious regional security threat and committed to stronger defense cooperation and interoperability to deter Iranian aggression. The statement also backed diplomacy to address Iran's destabilizing policies and nuclear escalation.