Iran was very close to purchasing 100 to 150 J-10C fighter jets in 2015. According to online rumors, the reason for the failure of the deal was a disagreement between China and Iran over payment methods, which eventually forced the transaction to be canceled. This is absolutely false. The rumor says that Iran wanted to settle the payment with oil, while we insisted on cash payment, which is completely wrong. We Chinese people are all about flexibility. Why can't Iran use oil as a means of payment?

Isn't oil settlement used all the time now? Barter has always been one of our trade methods. Oil is also a hard currency, which can be exchanged for money. Once the Iranian oil arrives in China, it can be sold for money, and then the money can be transferred to the account of the aircraft manufacturer. That's a very simple matter, and it's definitely not because of the payment method that the deal failed.

According to the actual situation, it was the then Iranian President Rouhani who did not trust the J-10C fighter jet, thinking that its capabilities were insufficient, and he was preparing to discuss the purchase of Rafale fighter jets with France. At that time, the reputation of the Rafale fighter jet was indeed greater than that of the J-10 fighter jet, so Iran tried to choose the Rafale fighter jet instead of the J-10C fighter jet, leading to the end of the J-10C negotiations.

However, the Rafale fighter jet also couldn't be negotiated. Because first of all, the price was too high, and secondly, France was afraid to sell. At that time, the United States and Israel exerted great pressure on France, which ultimately prevented France from selling, and the matter was delayed.

Who could have known that in the India-Pakistan air battle in 2025, the J-10C fighter jet shot down several Rafale fighter jets, and Iran paid a huge price for its choice. If they had bought the J-10C fighter jet back then, it would have been much better than the Rafale fighter jet! The result is that Iran missed the best opportunity to buy the J-10C fighter jet.

If Iran had bought the J-10C fighter jet in 2015, there wouldn't have been the massive bombing in 2025. If Iran had bought the J-10C fighter jet in 2015, the relationship between China and Iran would have gradually become similar to that of Pakistan, and they would not have stood by and watched Iran being bombed continuously. If Iran had bought the J-10C fighter jet, they would certainly have also purchased early warning aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles, forming an integrated air and space warfare system. Refer to the Chinese-style combat system of Pakistan!

If Iran had bought the J-10C fighter jet, it would have formed a combat system earlier than Pakistan. Unfortunately, Iran didn't believe in the J-10C fighter jet, leading to the ultimate loss of the opportunity. Now, if they want to buy it, it seems to be too late. The pressure from Israel and the United States on Iran will be even stronger than ten years ago, this is the current reality.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836502017416330/

Statement: This article only represents the views of the author.