Russia Increases its Influence in Iran by Advanced Weapons Sales

Russia Increases its Influence in Iran by Advanced Weapons Sales

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Several Iranian sources have recently quoted the state’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein DehqaIran saying that the ministry may acquire in the near future a batch of Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighters from Russia to modernize its air force. He said :“The purchasing of the fighter jets is on the Defense Ministry’s agenda. Russia has agreed to Tehran’s terms on “joint investment and supplying technology” for the purchase of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets.

Although both sides of the agreement seem interested, the deal requires the approval of the United Nations Security Council, and also there are possibilities that it could further affect Moscow’s relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US.

The aforementioned purchase has been in the works for quite a long time. In February, an official in the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said that the contract for the delivery of Russian Su-30SM fighters could be signed in 2016.

During that time DehqaIran also said that under an agreement, Iran would be involved in the production of the aircraft. “We are moving toward a contract. We told Russia that we need to be involved in the production (of the planes) as well.” he added.

According to defenseworld.net, the Su-30 is a two-seat highly-maneuverable fighter designed for air-superiority and strikes at ground and naval surface targets. Currently, different variants of SU-30 fighter jets are operated by air forces in Russia, India and Vietnam.