Russian leak signals Su-35s for Iran moving to production: What to know
Recently leaked documents suggest 16 fighters are already on Russian assembly lines, with deliveries slated through 2027. For Tehran, it would be the first meaningful fighter upgrade in decades.
Recently leaked Russian documents suggest that the long-delayed sale of Su-35 fighter jets to Iran is finally moving from promise to production. Internal correspondence from Moscow’s military-industrial complex indicates that 16 Su-35s for the Iranian air force are already on the assembly line under a dedicated export contract, with deliveries scheduled between 2025 and 2027.
If completed, the transfer would represent the most significant qualitative boost to Iran’s aging combat fleet in decades.
The leak also appears to address the imbalance that has shaped Russia-Iran relations in recent years: Tehran has supplied Shahed drones and short-range missiles that have become central to Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine, while Russia, in return, pledged advanced fighters but appeared to stall under the pressure of sanctions, its own wartime losses and a shrinking export portfolio.
Contract, assembly, timeline
