Iran has postponed the delivery of Su-35 fighter jets until the conflict with the United States and Israel ends.

Tehran is holding onto its Su-35 jets until the current conflict with the United States and Israel subsides. Mohammad Akramineya, a spokesman for the Iranian army, outlined the timeline in an interview with Tabnak. He admitted that the original plan was to take delivery before the fighting even started. Now, that window has closed. The aircraft will arrive only after the war is over.

This isn't a new purchase sitting in a warehouse. Akramineya stressed that the acquisition process took years to finalize. The groundwork is laid. Iranian pilots have already completed their training to fly these specific Russian-made fighters. It’s a ready-to-go capability, just waiting for a ceasefire.

The military representative expressed strong confidence in the outcome. He believes the Iranian air force will emerge from this confrontation significantly stronger than before. The logic is straightforward: delay the delivery, preserve the asset, and integrate it into a hardened defense structure once the immediate threat subsides.

Context matters here. Mehrdad Ahlaghi, Iran’s new defense minister, recently revealed a broader strategy. The country aims to test an indigenous fighter jet by 2027. This suggests a long-term push for self-reliance alongside foreign acquisitions. It’s a hedge against future supply cuts or geopolitical shifts.

The stakes have already been raised in other domains. In September, Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, claimed that Iranian forces conducted their first live-fire test of a new anti-ship missile above a US aircraft carrier. That statement signaled a direct challenge to American naval dominance in the region.

Diplomatic channels remain open, albeit tense. Sergey Lavrov previously urged Washington and Tehran to return to what he called an "honest deal." Whether that diplomatic off-ramp is still viable depends heavily on how long the military engagement drags on. For now, the focus remains on hardware and readiness. The Su-35s are coming, but not until the guns go silent.