IP- Iranian officials for the first time have confirmed the existence of an order for Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft, as well as other military equipment such as helicopters and missiles, Kommersant writes.

Iran PressEurope: The first deliveries are scheduled to begin this spring. Previously, Washington expressed concerns over the widened military-technical collaboration between Moscow and Tehran. They cautioned that this posed a threat to Iran's regional neighbors. However, neither Israel nor the Arab countries have made any public pronouncements on the subject so far.

"The Su-35 fighter jets ordered by Iran from Russia will arrive in the country early next year," member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Shahriar Heidari told the Tasnim Iranian news agency, noting that Tehran has put in orders for defense systems, missiles, and helicopters, and the majority of these weapons will be delivered soon. The Iranian New Year will begin on March 21.

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby noted that Washington was concerned about possible arms supplies from Russia. There were no comments from the Arab world, and Israel was already concerned about Iran's growing nuclear potential and its participation in the arms race. At the same time, some local experts fear that Israel may be too careless about Iran-Russia military cooperation.

Military experts believe that the supply of Russia’s Su-35 jets to Iran would not seriously upset the regional balance of power.

"The buying of Su-35s in the currently estimated quantities will only allow Tehran to rectify the situation somewhat, but the overall balance of power in the region will not change dramatically. Iran’s main means of deterrence and attack power will continue to be missiles and drones," Yuri Lyamin, an expert on Iranian weapons, told the newspaper.

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Iran to receive Su-35 fighters in months