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  6.  » Russia’s ‘Best Warplanes’ Su-35 Flanker-Es Are Heading To Iran; US Says Deal In Exchange For Drones & Missiles

Ashish Dangwal – Eurasian Times Dec 10, 2022

According to US officials, Iran may soon receive the cutting-edge Russian-made Su-35 Flanker-E aircraft in exchange for providing arms to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the officials, Iranian pilots received Sukhoi Su-35 training in Russia in the spring, indicating Iran may start acquiring the aircraft within the following year. The information was disclosed on December 9 by senior officials of President Joe Biden’s administration.

This training is part of what the US has described as an “unprecedented” level of military and other technology support pouring from Moscow to Tehran. The US said that Moscow has been giving Iran a range of weapons systems, including unidentified helicopters, air defense systems, and other support, such as Su-35 training.

The Russian government purportedly seeks to obtain hundreds of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles as part of this trade and more kamikaze drones. Furthermore, Moscow wants to work with Iran to build weapons, and one possible cooperative project is to create a drone production line in Russia.

The latest claims were supported by US intelligence assessments, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who also stated that Russia was providing Iran with unprecedented military and tech assistance that is reshaping their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership.

“This partnership poses a threat not just to Ukraine but to Iran’s neighbors in the region. We have shared this information with partners in the Middle East and worldwide,” one senior administration official said.

The US accusations are a deliberate effort on their part to isolate Russia on a global level. In this case, they are probably directed at Arab countries that have attempted to restrain Iran’s regional aggression and have not taken a strong stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Kirby stated that the US would use the resources at its disposal to uncover and halt these activities because the weaponry transfers were against UN Security Council resolutions. Recently, the Biden administration announced sanctions against Iranian companies and organizations involved in shipping Iranian drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.

The White House has accused Iran of supporting Russia’s war effort, but it hasn’t given up hope of resurrecting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the Trump administration scrapped in 2018.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, often known as the JCPOA, would relieve Tehran of billions in sanctions in exchange for the nation’s consent to scale back its nuclear program to the levels specified by the 2015 deal.

 

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