Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
They could be delivered before the year is over.
Iran is replacing its ancient fleet of military aircraft.
According to Military Watch Magazine, Russia has finished building the first batch of 20 Sukhoi Su-35 warplanes for Tehran.
The Iranian air force still relies on vintage American jets bought before the 1979 revolution. Engineering crews struggle daily to keep those antique planes flying. It is a massive headache.
Leaked documents from late 2025 suggest Iran ordered 48 of these advanced Russian jets in total. For now, the first 20 aircraft remain in Russia. Tehran is quietly paying the maintenance bills.
The delivery might face minor delays. Reports indicate that recent infrastructure damage at Iran’s Hamadan Air Base requires urgent repairs before the new fighter fleet can land.
Ramping up production
Building these complex machines requires immense resources. Russia usually produces about 14 Su-35 jets each year, but the Kremlin is forcing factories to work much faster.
In May 2025, United Aircraft Corporation director Vadim Badekha confirmed that factory output was expanding. Moscow is prioritizing these foreign orders. That choice means fewer jets for Russia’s own air force over the next few years.
The Su-35 can fly nearly 1,000 miles to strike deep targets. It also operates easily from short, basic runways. Analysts believe these capabilities will dramatically boost Iranian military reach across the Middle East.
Tehran is also looking even further ahead. Russian sources reported in June that Iran ordered 12 cheaper Su-30SM2 jets, and officials are even eyeing fifth-generation stealth fighters for 2030.
Beating Western sanctions
This manufacturing boom comes despite heavy global trade restrictions.
A 2025 investigation by human rights groups found that crashed Russian jets are packed with foreign electronics, Kyiv Post reports.
Most of the 889 Western parts found by the researchers came from American companies, proving that Moscow easily uses shell corporations to buy restricted technology.
