Iran plans to
purchase Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter planes to modernise its air force, the
Defence Minister said on Saturday, adding that Tehran might again allow Russia
to
use an Iranian air base for its operations in Syria.
"The purchase
of this fighter is on the agenda of the Defence Ministry," Defence
Minister Hossein Dehghan told reporters, according to the Tasneem news agency,
without saying how many planes Iran is negotiating to buy.
"However, any
purchase of the military planes from Russia should include receiving technology
and joint investment, he underlined, saying Russia accepted it in the negotiations,"
Tasneem reported.
Russia is in talks
to help upgrade Iran's dilapidated air force by selling it Sukhoi Su-30 fighter
jets, but the deal would need the approval of the United Nations Security
Council and could further strain Moscow's relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia
and the United States.
In August, Tehran
allowed Russian planes to use a base in Western Iran in their strikes in
support of the Syrian government which Moscow and Tehran both support. The
unprecedented deployment was criticized by the United States and some Iranian
lawmakers.
Asked about any
plans to let the Russian air force use the base, Dehghan said: "If
necessary, Iran will once again allow Russian jets to fly from Hamedan's Nojeh
air base," Tasneem reported.
Dehghan decline to
comment on a Russian report that Russia and Iran were in talks over arms deals
worth $10 billion.
"On this
matter, you'll have to ask the Russians," said Dehghan, according to the
semi-official Mehr news agency.
Reuters
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