TEHRAN – Iran has finalized a deal with Russia to purchase Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, a Russian state-run news outlet reported.

The Russian Sputnik news agency said the information related to the delivery date and the number of the fighters is kept under wraps. 

Citing Iran’s mission to the UN in New York, Sputnik said after the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Iran offered a group of countries its willingness to buy combat aircraft, and Russia said it was ready to sell.

“The mission added that the Su-35 combat aircraft are technically acceptable to Iran, so after October 2020, and the end of Iranian restrictions on purchases of conventional weapons (UN Resolution No. 2231), Iran completed the procedures for its purchase,” the Russian news agency noted. 

The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not specify exactly when the deal was completed or how many aircraft Iran would receive from Russia, according to Sputnik, saying, “No details will be published because they are confidential.”

Earlier, the Russian ambassador to Iran, Alexei Dedov, told Sputnik that Moscow and Tehran are working on formulating a new agreement within the framework of Russian-Iranian relations, pointing out that it will be of strategic importance.

The ambassador also noted that it is important for it to be solid and balanced, and to reflect the new realities of bilateral cooperation.