Iran Confirms Receiving MiG-29s, Su-35 and HQ-9 Delivery

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Iran has officially confirmed the arrival of Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets, a development that signals Tehran's determination to modernize its air force despite decades of sanctions and international isolation.

The announcement was made by Abulfazl Zohrevand, an Iranian MP who is also a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, who described the delivery as a “short-term solution” while Tehran awaits the arrival of more advanced platforms such as Russia’s Su-35 fighter jets and China’s HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.

His September 2025 statement underscored Iran's broader military transition, involving not only Russian-made aircraft but also sophisticated air defense systems from Russia and China, placing Tehran increasingly firmly in the orbit of a rapidly expanding defense network between Moscow and Beijing.

Zohrevand revealed that the MiG-29 is now operationally stationed in Shiraz, one of Iran's strategic air bases, with the role of defending the central and southern regions of the Islamic Republic from possible Israeli or United States invasion.

He also stressed that the Su-35 deliveries would continue gradually, describing the Flanker-E as the backbone of Iran's future air force, while stressing that the deliveries were "ongoing in full swing" despite previous doubts about the viability of the deal.

More significantly, Zohrevand confirmed that the HQ-9, China's main long-range SAM system, is being delivered in "large quantities," thus strengthening Iran's layered defense network and highlighting Beijing's expanding role in bolstering Tehran's military position.

The acquisition comes after Israel's increasingly intense airstrike campaign against Iranian targets in Syria as well as recent cross-border clashes, highlighting Tehran's urgent need to strengthen its deterrence posture and ensure its defense architecture is capable of withstanding high-intensity conflict scenarios.

Analysts point out that the simultaneous delivery of the MiG-29 and HQ-9 gives Iran an integrated short- to long-range defensive shield, allowing Tehran to complicate enemy attack planning and extend its radar surveillance capabilities deep into contested airspace.

The progress of the Su-35 deliveries, if continued, would mark the biggest surge in Iranian air power since the 1979 Revolution, thus allowing it to possess a multi-role fighter capable of challenging Israeli and Gulf air forces, in both defensive and offensive missions.

By tying its military modernization simultaneously to Moscow and Beijing, Iran is effectively creating multiple supply lines that reduce its vulnerability to geopolitical pressure from any single partner, while asserting its intention to firmly anchor itself in the Eurasian defense axis.