Babak Taghvaee explains why Iran has backed out of its acquisition of 25 Su-35SEs from Russia and how the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force has struggled to effectively operate its existing Fulcrum and Fencer fleets due to Moscow’s political strategies.
Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi – Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) – received notice from the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces on July 15 that plans had been cancelled for the acquisition of Su-35SE multi-role fighters from Russia’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO).
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