<p >Following Iranian Deputy Defence Minister Mehdi Farahi’s&nbsp;<a href=" >confirmation</a>&nbsp;in November 2023 of the finalisation of plans to receive Russian <a href=" >Su-35 fighter</a>&nbsp;aircraft, alongside&nbsp;<a href=" >Mi-28 attack helicopters</a> and Yak-130 fighter/trainers, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ali Shadmani in the final week of January 2024 <a href=" >confirmed</a> that his country had placed orders for jets. With personnel from Iran reportedly having long since&nbsp;<a href=" >begun training</a>&nbsp;for Su-35 operations in Russia, while footage from two<a href=" > airbases</a>&nbsp;have appeared to show preparations underway to host the aircraft, the Russian jets are expected to revolutionise the country’s antiquated fleet, the large majority of which is comprised of Vietnam War era F-5E/F and F-4D/E fighters. While unconfirmed reports have indicated that Iran has ordered a little over two dozen fighters, other reports indicate that larger scale followup orders are planned to transform the country’s aerial warfare capabilities and <a href=" target="_blank">procure 64 fighters</a>. </p><p >Iran has faced a declining security situation with the <a href=" target="_blank">overthrow</a> of its primary regional strategic partner the Syrian Arab Republic by Turkish, Israeli and Western backed paramilitaries in December, which has left the Iranian aligned Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah <a href=" target="_blank">isolated</a> and potentially vulnerable to a two-pronged Turkish-Israeli assault. The <a href=" target="_blank">modernisation</a> of the Israeli and Turkish fighter fleets, and the strengthening of U.S. and Western presences in the Middle East, has left Iran increasingly vulnerable, and increased the appeal of large fighter procurements. &nbsp;</p><p ><img src=" title="Russian Air Force Su-35 Fighter"></p><p >The Su-35 was initially intended to be built solely for export, as the Russian Air Force itself was intended to replace its Soviet Su-27 fighters with Su-57 fifth generation fighters from the early-mid 2010s. Major delays to the Su-57’s development, however, resulted in the Russian Defence Ministry placing orders for the Su-35, with the program by the mid-2010s envisaged to have a production run of 200 fighters, 100 of which would be built for the Russian Air Force. Although a significant number of countries expressed interest in the Su-35, those which have considered making purchases have consistently been dissuaded from proceeding due to threats of&nbsp;<a href=" economic sanctions</a>. Indonesia and Egypt which did place orders in 2017 and 2018 both&nbsp;<a href=" their orders due to such threats.&nbsp;</p><p >The possibility of Su-35 exports reaching well over 100 fighters was previously raised, as Russia <a href=" India a licensed production deal for 114 of the aircraft in the late 2010s under the <a href=" Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender</a>, which would be accompanied by large scale technology transfers. India terminated the tender in 2020, and has since shown an <a href=" target="_blank">interest in the Su-57</a>. Russia also previously sought to export large numbers of Su-35s to China, and to offer a license production deal, although the country’s own combat aviation sector by the mid 2010s was already producing much more advanced fighters such as the J-20 and J-16. China remains the Su-35’s only foreign client, and procured 24 of the aircraft primarily to receive technology transfers and provide dissimilar combat training.&nbsp;</p><p ><img src=" ></p><p >With only 24 Su-35s having been delivered abroad, the program’s export performance has been considered throughly underwhelming. A further factor against the fighter class’ favour has been competition from the Su-30SM/MKA and Su-57, with the former providing many similar capabilities at a much lower cost, and seeing well over 100 ordered by foreign clients, while the latter has been perceived as more cost effective due to its far superior performance. Iranian orders thus have the potential to mark a major turnaround in the Su-35’s export profile. The country’s 17 squadrons of obsolete fighters between them fielding close to 300 aircraft provide significant room to accommodate sizeable orders for the Su-35, with procurement of 64 fighters being highly plausible. This would bring Russian industry close to its program goal of exporting 100 fighters, albeit not in the way originally expected. While the Su-35’s procurement costs remain relatively low, its high maintenance needs are not expected to translate into high operational costs in Iranian service due to the country’s low labour and energy costs, which makes a large fleet more viable. Large Iranian orders could allow Su-35 production to continue into the 2030s exclusively for export, as the Russian Defence Ministry transitions orders to the Su-57.&nbsp;</p>