Iran has completed the purchase of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and expects to receive the advanced combat aircraft after its ongoing war with the United States ends, according to a senior Iranian military official. The announcement signals Tehran’s determination to rebuild and modernise its ageing air force, which has faced mounting challenges amid escalating military confrontation with the United States and its allies.
Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, confirmed the completion of the procurement arrangements in an interview with Iranian news website Tabnak, conducted jointly with BitRun on Saturday. He said the necessary preparations, including contractual arrangements and pilot training, had been completed several years ago, but the aircraft had not arrived before the outbreak of the war.
“The issue of the Su-35 has been raised for several years. We had already done the necessary work several years ago,” Akraminia said.
He explained that the preliminary arrangements had been completed by the relevant government bodies outside the Army, including the purchase process, contract signing and preparation of pilots to operate the Russian-built aircraft.
“The preliminary work that needed to be done was completed — both the purchase and the signing of the contracts, which were handled by the relevant bodies outside the Army, and the pilot training, for which the necessary work was also completed. There was no problem in that regard,” he said.
According to Akraminia, the fighter jets were originally expected to arrive before the war began at the end of February. However, the conflict disrupted the planned delivery schedule.
“These aircraft were supposed to arrive before the war,” he said. “God willing, we will definitely receive these aircraft after the war and upgrade our fleet.”
The Army spokesman did not disclose the number of aircraft purchased, their total value or the precise delivery schedule. Nevertheless, his remarks represent one of the clearest public confirmations from Iran’s military leadership that the Su-35 procurement has progressed beyond preliminary negotiations and contractual arrangements.
The acquisition of the Su-35 is part of a broader Iranian military modernisation programme aimed at improving the country’s combat aviation capabilities.
Iran’s air force has long relied on a combination of ageing American aircraft acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, older Soviet-designed platforms and domestically upgraded military aircraft. Decades of international sanctions have restricted Tehran’s access to Western aviation technology, spare parts and modern combat aircraft.
The country continues to operate American-made F-14 Tomcats, F-4 Phantom IIs and F-5 fighters, alongside Russian-built MiG-29s and domestically developed aircraft. Although Iran has invested heavily in maintaining and upgrading these platforms, the technological gap between its combat aviation fleet and the latest-generation aircraft operated by the United States and Israel remains considerable.
The Su-35 could provide a significant improvement in this area.
“One of our programmes is to bring advanced aircraft such as the Su-35 into our armaments,” Akraminia said, adding that Iran was also making progress in developing military technologies domestically.
He argued that purchasing advanced foreign equipment could provide Iran with access to technologies that would support its own defence-industrial development.
“Purchasing equipment from abroad will bring us closer to advanced technologies,” he said.
Akraminia added that Iran’s military aviation capabilities would be strengthened following the end of the conflict.
“God willing, the Army’s air fleet will appear after the war with more power and equipped with more advanced aircraft and equipment,” he said.
The Russian-made Su-35 is a highly manoeuvrable, twin-engine, multirole fighter developed by Sukhoi and represents an advanced evolution of the Su-27 aircraft family.
It is designed for air-superiority missions as well as air-to-ground operations and can carry a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.
The aircraft features powerful engines with thrust-vectoring capabilities, advanced radar systems, electronic warfare equipment and a substantial weapons payload. Its combination of manoeuvrability, range and sensor capabilities makes it one of Russia’s most capable operational fourth-generation-plus fighters.
For Iran, acquiring the Su-35 would provide an opportunity to strengthen its ability to conduct air-defence missions, intercept hostile aircraft and potentially challenge adversaries operating advanced combat aviation platforms.
However, the effectiveness of the aircraft would depend on more than the fighter itself. Modern air warfare increasingly relies on an integrated network of airborne sensors, ground-based radar installations, satellite information, secure communications and command-and-control systems.
Akraminia specifically highlighted the importance of this wider military architecture during his interview.
He said Iran had been developing the supporting capabilities required to maximise the operational potential of advanced fighter aircraft.
“In the new architecture of the air force, these matters have been considered, and good work has also been done. These works complement each other,” he said.
“When you operate an advanced aircraft such as the Su-35, you must also have ground-based, airborne and satellite capabilities so that the aircraft can reach its full potential.”
His remarks suggest that Tehran recognises the limitations of acquiring advanced fighter jets without simultaneously improving its wider surveillance, communications and air-defence infrastructure.
The Army spokesman also declared that Iran was prepared for military confrontation with Washington, saying the country was “ready and trained for war with America.”
Iran’s interest in acquiring Russian Su-35 fighters has been reported for several years, although the exact scale and delivery arrangements have remained unclear.
In late 2022, reports emerged that Tehran could receive approximately 24 Su-35 aircraft originally manufactured for Egypt. The Egyptian acquisition programme had collapsed following American pressure, creating speculation that Russia might redirect the aircraft to Iran.
In December 2022, then-White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Iranian pilots had begun training in Russia to operate the Su-35.
Kirby also indicated that deliveries could begin within a year, describing the expanding military relationship between Moscow and Tehran as an unprecedented level of Russian military-technical support.
He characterised the relationship as developing into a “full-fledged defence partnership”, warning that it could have security implications beyond the war in Ukraine, particularly for countries neighbouring Iran.
In November 2023, Iran’s then-deputy defence minister, Mehdi Farahi, told the Tasnim news agency that arrangements had been finalised for the acquisition of Su-35 fighters, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 advanced training aircraft.
The Russian government did not publicly confirm the complete details of the reported agreement.
However, the first Russian-made Yak-130 advanced training aircraft arrived in Iran later in 2023, providing an indication of expanding military aviation cooperation between the two countries. The aircraft can be used to train pilots for advanced combat aircraft, including platforms with more sophisticated flight-control and weapons systems.
In January 2025, Brigadier General Ali Shadmani of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also publicly confirmed that Tehran had purchased Su-35 fighters.
“Whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land and naval forces,” Shadmani said at the time.
He did not reveal how many aircraft had been ordered or whether deliveries had already taken place.
That same month, Iran and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty pledging to expand cooperation across several areas, including military and technical relations. The agreement provided a broader political framework for closer defence cooperation, although it did not publicly specify particular weapons deliveries.
Over the years, media reports and defence assessments have suggested that Iran could acquire between 24 and 48 Su-35 fighters. Neither Moscow nor Tehran has officially confirmed those figures.
Akraminia’s latest comments therefore provide an important indication of the status of the programme, even though the actual size of the order remains undisclosed.
Alongside the Su-35 procurement, Iran has reportedly explored the possibility of acquiring Russia’s S-400 Triumf long-range air-defence system.
The S-400, developed by Russia’s Almaz-Antey, is designed to engage multiple categories of aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles and certain ballistic missile targets. Its radar network and interceptor missiles are intended to provide long-range protection against hostile aircraft and other incoming threats.
The system is also frequently discussed in connection with countering low-observable aircraft, although its actual effectiveness against stealth platforms depends on radar configurations, engagement conditions, electronic warfare and the wider air-defence network.
Reports, including those published by The Washington Post, have previously highlighted Iran’s interest in the system.
In 2024, an Iranian delegation reportedly visited a Russian defence production facility and examined various air-defence systems, including the S-400. However, there has been no definitive public confirmation that Tehran has concluded a purchase agreement.
The potential acquisition has gained additional significance because Iran’s air-defence capabilities have faced serious challenges during its confrontation with the United States and Israel.
An operational S-400 network could strengthen Iran’s ability to detect and engage hostile aircraft at considerable distances, potentially complicating adversaries’ air operations. However, the system’s effectiveness would depend on deployment, radar coverage, integration with existing Iranian systems and the availability of sufficient interceptors.
Russia’s S-400 has attracted considerable international attention following India’s military confrontation with Pakistan in May 2025.
Indian military officials praised the performance of the Russian-made system during the fighting, describing it as an important component of the country’s air-defence network.
Former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said India’s air-defence capabilities had successfully engaged several Pakistani aircraft and other high-value aerial targets.
“We have at least five fighters confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT aircraft or an AEW&C aircraft, which was taken on at a distance of about 300 kilometres,” Singh said.
He described the engagement as the longest-range surface-to-air kill publicly discussed in that context.
Praising the S-400, he added: “The S-400 system, which we recently bought, has been a game-changer.”
Singh also said the system’s range had restricted the ability of Pakistani aircraft to approach Indian airspace and employ certain long-range weapons, including glide bombs.
India’s experience has contributed to growing international interest in the S-400, although claims about individual engagements and their attribution to specific air-defence systems remain subject to independent verification.
For Moscow, supplying advanced military equipment to Tehran would represent another important dimension of its strategic relationship with Iran. The two countries have increasingly strengthened their political, economic and military cooperation amid sanctions and tensions with Western governments.
For Tehran, the Su-35 acquisition could address a longstanding weakness in its conventional air force and provide access to advanced Russian aviation technology. The aircraft would not, by itself, eliminate Iran’s wider military disadvantages, particularly in airborne surveillance, electronic warfare, precision weapons and integrated command systems.
The immediate priority, however, appears to be securing delivery of the fighters after the current war.
Akraminia’s statement indicates that Iran considers the contractual and preparatory stages of the Su-35 programme complete. What remains uncertain is when the aircraft will arrive, how many will be delivered and whether the war will further alter the original procurement arrangements.
The possibility of an S-400 acquisition remains even less certain. Unlike the Su-35 programme, for which senior Iranian military officials have now repeatedly acknowledged a purchase, the air-defence system remains the subject of reports and speculation rather than a publicly confirmed order.
For now, the Su-35 appears to be Tehran’s clearest priority in its effort to modernise its combat aviation fleet. If deliveries materialise after the war, they could mark a significant development in Iran’s military capabilities and further deepen its defence partnership with Russia.
