Top Iranian military official in Moscow to discuss purchase of Russian fighter jets

The chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, announced that Iran was negotiating a deal with Moscow to acquire Russian fighter aircraft and helicopters.

Bagheri arrived in Moscow on October 18. It was reported that the official would meet Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoygu to discuss latest events in Afghanistan and to sign an agreement on the purchase of Russian weapons.

"We are currently negotiating (with Moscow) the implementation of agreements on the purchase of Russian fighters and helicopters," Fars agency quoted Bagheri as saying.

The agreements will be signed after the UN embargo on arms exports to Iran expires, he added. 

The Russian Federation is a strategic ally for Iran:

• The parties work together in many areas, such as trade, economic, military and political fields.
• Russia has been building the nuclear power plant in Bushehr for several years.
• Russia has also shipped a number of batches of Sputnik V vaccine to Iran lately as well.
• Tehran and Moscow maintain close military cooperation and participate in joint military exercises.

In the second half of September, SCO member states, which include the Russian Federation, approved Iran's bid to join the organization a few years later, which, according to many experts, will strengthen Iran's positions in the region and expand cooperation with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including Russia.