Russia’s Iran arms deal: Moscow promises Tehran fighter jets and air defenses, including advanced missiles capable of shooting down US and Israeli stealth planes

Russian military officials have been quietly supporting Iran with weapons and information as the crisis in the Middle East escalates, it has emerged.

A strategic alliance between the two hostile nations, reports Washington Posthas seen Russia supply a range of artillery to Iran, including prized anti-aircraft missiles and drones.

The reported deals are evidence of a troubling dynamic between the two nations that experts warn shows Iran growing in strength and bargaining power as it heads toward war.

“It’s no longer the patron-client dynamic where Russia has all the power,” said Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

‘The Iranians will benefit from this change. The nature of their relationship has gone beyond just getting things. There is knowledge transfer, there are intangible gains.’

Experts warn that Russia has strengthened its relationship with Iran while using the nation to support its invasion of Ukraine

Experts warned that the growing relationship between Russia and Iran took a major step forward in 2022 when Iran agreed to help bolster the invasion of Ukraine.

That deal saw Iran deliver thousands of battlefield drones and missiles, a move the Kremlin has reportedly been keen to reciprocate.

Russia has pledged to support Iran with air defense technology and advanced fighter jets, especially as it faces the possibility of counterattacks from Israel in the wake of its aborted attack on Tel-Aviv last week.

Intelligence and weapons experts told the Washington Post that the supply of weapons to Iran makes it a far more formidable military in modern warfare if it has an improved ability to shoot down aircraft and missiles.

Such a capability was shown in full force after Iran’s attack on Israel, when international allies helped shoot down almost all drones heading for the nation.

In particular, Iran is said to covet Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile, which military analysts say is capable of detecting and destroying stealth fighter jets operated by Israel and the United States.

Members of the Iranian Armed Forces march during the annual military parade in Tehran, Iran, September 22, 2023

According to the outlet, a Russian arms dealer was caught inviting a delegation of Iranians to visit one of his weapons factories, called NPP Start, in March 2023.

The factory was under US sanctions for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and its hosting of the Iranian delegation was only made known in February.

That month, a hacker group shared stolen Iranian emails that saw Russians describe the meeting as an exhibition of ‘scientific and technical potential and production capacity.’

While it is not clear whether weapons were purchased on that trip, analysts have seen it as a clear intention that relations between the two nations have already been forged as they move deeper into the conflict.

According to the quoted anonymous experts, this cooperation will extend beyond anti-aircraft missiles, and may also include co-production of military drones inside Russia.

It may also include sharing anti-jamming technology and sharing information about weapons deployment against forces in Ukraine.

Pictured: A Russian Su-35 fighter jet, among the weapons feared to be shared between Russia and Iran

The new dynamic between Russia and Iran could also help strengthen Iran’s air force, which had been seen as lagging behind other world militaries.

Iran’s air force consists primarily of refurbished pre-1979 American and Soviet jets, but intelligence officials warned that Russia has ‘advanced’ a deal to supply Su-35 fighter jets.

The fighters would be a significant upgrade to Iran’s navy, but the officials reportedly said there is no evidence they have received them yet, which may be due to a delay in payment.

Russia may also be seeking to support Iranian efforts to increase its supply of spy satellites and help build rockets to send more into space, the intelligence officials said.

The potential step up in Iranian military power comes as the nation continues to race toward war with Israel, including sending hundreds of drones and missiles in retaliation for an April 1 Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus.

The attack in Damascus killed two Iranian generals, prompting Iran to launch its counterattack directly from its homeland rather than via proxies in a dramatic escalation.

US officials have reportedly stressed the need for restraint from Israel in response, however IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant Herzi Halevi warned on Monday that Iran ‘will be met with a response’.