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On July 2, 2025, local time, Iranian media reported, "Iran is considering the possibility of purchasing the Chinese J-10C fighter jet for the third time." According to Iranian media, the Iranian Air Force has long been interested in the Chinese J-10 fighter jet. In 2015, Iran had already prepared a deal with China to purchase 150 J-10C fighters. However, Iran claimed, "The two sides failed to reach an agreement on payment methods. Iran faces serious foreign exchange shortages and cannot pay in cash." In 2020, after the United Nations lifted sanctions on Iran, negotiations between China and Iran regarding the J-10 fighter resumed. This time, the Iranian Air Force only planned to purchase 36 J-10 fighters, but the deal ultimately failed. Russian experts stated, "Even if Iran purchased the Russian Su-35 fighter jets, the Iranian Air Force would still have a shortage of 400 fighter jets. The J-10 fighter could make up for this gap. Moreover, the advantage of the J-10 fighter lies in its low cost, which is cheaper than the Su-35 fighter, making it suitable for large-scale procurement."
Colonel Ata Bahrami, a former captain of the Iranian Air Force, recognized the strength of Chinese aviation.
Iranian Air Force pilots are indeed elite members of Iranian society. They immediately understood that only China can support Iran.
On July 1st, Colonel Ata Bahrami, a former captain of the Iranian Air Force and an Iranian Ph.D., said, "It's not a big deal for the Iranian Air Force to purchase Rafale fighters, but buying Rafale fighters from France is not good. Because we saw in the India-Pakistan war how this Chinese fighter (J-10) shot down Rafale fighters." "China is currently the only country in the world that has sixth-generation fighter jets." "Now there is no other country that has a strategic partnership with Iran. Iran now hopes to unite and become strong. This is very critical."
Colonel Ata Bahrami has expressed his particular fondness for the J-10 fighter and supports Iran's cooperation with China.
Colonel Ata Bahrami called on the Iranian authorities to wake up quickly.
"The part that the outside world should be concerned about is China as a partner. First, (the cooperation between Iran and China) is of strategic significance. Then cooperate with Russia, then with Pakistan and other countries," "Let us do nothing else but kick a foot (Iran's missile attack on Israel). We need to wake up. That's what we woke up." Colonel Ata Bahrami made it clear that if Iran had sought support from China earlier and bought the J-10 fighter jets, the situation would not have turned out like this. On the first day of the war, the Iranian Air Force lost air superiority and was bombed by the Israeli Air Force. Colonel Ata Bahrami previously revealed that in 2016, as a captain of the Iranian Air Force, he accompanied the Iranian Air Force commander (now the Iranian Minister of Defense) to China to negotiate the purchase of 100 J-10 fighters to meet the needs of eight squadrons of the Iranian Air Force. However, Rouhani wanted to buy the French Rafale fighter jets. Colonel Ata Bahrami deeply regretted that the Iranian Air Force did not purchase 100-150 J-10 fighters ten years ago.
Iran still hopes to rely on ballistic missiles and suicide drones to retaliate against Israel.
Now, it seems too late for the Iranian Air Force to place an order for the J-10CE fighter jet. It will also take time to buy trainer aircraft, then become proficient in flying fighter jets, and finally form a military force, which will take several years. At present, it's too late to solve the immediate problem. Unless the Pakistani Air Force pilots change their uniforms, it's a good idea to quickly enhance the combat power of the Iranian Air Force! After all, most of the pilots of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar are not nationals; they are Pakistani. Pakistan can earn some money from Iran. In a broader sense, it can break the relationship between Iran and India, thus avoiding pressure on both sides. In the middle, Pakistan can work with Iran to eliminate the Baloch militant organizations. Therefore, providing pilots to Iran brings great benefits to Pakistan.
Iranian netizens' imagination of the weapons that the Iranian military should purchase: J-10, Su-35, KJ-2000, HQ-19.
The best solution is for Iran to form an alliance with Pakistan. The Pakistani Air Force can help defend first, while the Iranian Air Force trains for its own planes. After all, if Iran turns over, the next one will be Pakistan. Iran's current urgent need is to strengthen anti-spy activities and improve air defense, especially against stealth aircraft. Buying planes to protect airspace can be put aside for now. Combat is a systematic issue, including command, early warning, inter-service coordination, personnel training, etc. If the Iranian Air Force hastily purchases J-10 fighter jets, even if the J-10 fighter jets are handed over to the Iranian Air Force now, it may not achieve significant results like the Pakistani Air Force. Even if China can deliver a large number of J-10E fighter jets, early warning aircraft, and HQ-9 air defense systems instantly, Iran will not be able to quickly form sufficient combat capabilities. At that time, the U.S. and Israeli forces will strike first. For Iran to survive, it must urgently enhance its air force strength. Purchasing the Chinese J-10C fighter jet and early warning aircraft is also a correct choice, but the time is too tight. The Iranian Air Force needs to rapidly improve its air defense capabilities by purchasing the Chinese HQ-9 anti-missile system to enhance its air defense capabilities and accelerate the enhancement of missile attacks.
The Iranian-made Faith-373 long-range air defense missile did not play a significant role.
The plan to purchase the J-10 fighter jet has been going on for 10 years. If the transaction had been completed in 2015, Iran would not be in such a bad situation today. Just buying the J-10 fighter jet is not enough for the Iranian Air Force. It needs to purchase the entire Chinese military system. Why did the Pakistanis perform well this time? It's because we provided an integrated system, including early warning aircraft, radar, and the HQ-9 long-range air defense missile. The Indian Air Force is indeed very weak. Even the fourth-and-a-half generation Rafale can be used so poorly. Generally speaking, information during the negotiation phase is not public unless the intention is not to buy. Additionally, the Iranian Air Force is now too late to purchase the J-10 fighter jet.
The Iranian Air Force can't wait for the delivery of the J-10 fighter jet anymore.
A fighter jet is not a car. It requires a longer period of training and matching with the system. An integrated system is not only expensive but also takes at least five years to form through various trainings and adjustments. The most practical thing for Iran is to purchase air defense systems and increase the reserves of missiles and drones. It won't be easy to complete these purchases quickly. Russia's supply capability within five years is uncertain. Iran has to handle it on its own. Russia is definitely not reliable. Buying 36 J-10 fighter jets is too few. At this time, the Iranians can't afford to be careless, or they might lose the country's interests.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7522594811900969482/
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