Russia to send Iran top fighter jets in return for kamikaze drones
Iran is to receive top-of-the-range fighter jets from Russia “within the next year” in exchange for the kamikaze drones sent to the battlefield in Ukraine, US sources said on Friday night.
Downing Street and the White House warned that the new "sordid deals" amount to a "large scale military partnership" between Tehran and Moscow.
The US later warned that Russia was expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, already the largest in the world.
Russia is planning to send Tehran advanced military equipment and components, including helicopters and air defence systems, US intelligence sources said.
Biden administration officials said Iranian pilots were already being trained in Russia on how to fly the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet, indicating Iran “may begin receiving the aircraft within the next year.”
Speculation has swirled that Moscow may redirect some 24 SU-35 jets currently grounded in Russia after an Egyptian order for them was cancelled.
The fighter jets would represent a significant modernisation of Iran's aging air force and would increase the threat posed by Iran across the Middle East and to Israel.
It came as the Ministry of Defence said on Friday that new Iranian drones were appearing in Ukraine, causing fresh havoc on the battlefield.
The White House said the Iran-Russia relationship is transforming into “a full-fledged defence partnership" with weapons and military expertise flowing in both directions, the officials said.
'Sordid deals threatening global security'
James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, claimed the “sordid deals” between Russia and Iran are threatening global security.
Meanwhile, Barbara Woodward, the UK’s ambassador to the UN, confirmed on Friday that Russia is attempting to obtain more weapons from Iran, including hundreds of the missiles.
"In return, Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support. We're concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with more advanced military components, which will allow Iran to strengthen their weapons capability," she said.
The White House said last night: “This partnership poses a threat not just to Ukraine, but to Iran’s neighbours in the region.” One senior administration official said: “We have shared this information with partners in the Middle East and around the world.”
Russia and Iran have worked closely together to prop up the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria over the last decade.
However, Moscow is now bogged down in a conflict with Kyiv, while the Islamic Republic is facing unrest within its own borders.
Sanctioned by the West and facing isolation from much of the rest of the world, they have had to rely much more heavily on the other for military support.
Lloyd Austin, US Defense Secretary, said on Friday that Russia is expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal.
Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, with close to 6,000 warheads, according to experts. Together, Russia and the United States together hold around 90% of the world's nuclear warheads - enough to destroy the planet many times over.
"As the Kremlin continues its cruel and unprovoked war of choice against Ukraine, the whole world has seen Putin engage in deeply irresponsible nuclear saber-rattling," Mr Austin said.
It came shortly after Mr Putin reiterated his threat to use nuclear weapons if Russia were attacked.
