Jets Ordered from Russia Begin Arriving in Iran, but Not the Ones Expected
Reports from Iranian media have confirmed that the jets Iran ordered from Russia have started arriving in the country. However, these aircraft are not the Su-35 Flanker fighter jets that Tehran had hoped to receive this year.
The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday that Iran received subsonic Yak-130 trainer jets. The news agency cited imagery and video showing the new aircraft with IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) markings. At least two Yak-130s are said to be in Iran’s central Isfahan province and are now in service with the IRIAF.
While the Yak-130 trainers are not as capable as the Su-35, their delivery could suggest that Russia might still deliver the fighter jets at a later date.
Recent indications and reports had suggested that Moscow reneged on a prior agreement to sell Tehran 24-50 Su-35 fighters. Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of drones for use in its ongoing war against Ukraine, which may have affected the delivery plans for the Su-35s.
Defense and security analyst Farzin Nadimi from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy could not confirm the authenticity of the Yak-130 delivery photos and video. However, he stated that if the delivery is confirmed, it could be a “logical step” before acquiring fourth-generation fighters such as the Su-35.
Iranian officials had expressed optimism about Russia delivering Su-35s as early as March this year. However, reports suggest that Russia failed to fulfill its end of the deal to supply Iran with the fighters it had paid for in 2021.
Speculation had been rife that Iran would at least obtain the Su-35s that Russia had already built for Egypt but were subsequently canceled. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine could have disrupted the original delivery plans.
This Yak-130 delivery seems to confirm that Russia is delivering something to Iran after the supplies Tehran has provided to Moscow over the past 18 months.
It is worth noting that the last time Russia transferred military aircraft to Iran was in the 2000s when they supplied six Su-25 Frogfoot attack planes, which were also subsonic.
In 2019, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency speculated that Iran would seek Yak-130s from Russia, along with other military equipment, once the UN arms embargo expired. Tehran had since chosen the more advanced Su-35 over the Su-30.
While Iran has been developing its indigenous trainer jets, such as the HESA Yasin, these may not provide Iranian pilots with the specific skillsets required to operate the Su-35. The delivery of the Yak-130 trainers could indicate that Iran will eventually receive the Su-35s it has been seeking.
For now, Iran seems content that the jet deliveries have finally begun, albeit not the exact models they had initially hoped for.