“Iran receives Russian MiG-29 jets, expects more advanced systems, lawmaker says,” Iran International, 9-23-25. MiG-29s in Shiraz, Su-35s to follow.
One of the challenges in relying on open sources is the contrast sometimes seen in reporting. “Iran Not Likely Getting Its Air Force Upgraded By Russia Or China Soon,” Forbes, 9-23-25. “In a hugely consequential claim, a member of Iran’s parliament announced on Tuesday that not only will Iran soon receive its long-awaited Su-35 Flanker fighter jets from Russia, but it already has new MiG-29 Fulcrums as a stopgap. Furthermore, he claimed, Iran is receiving both Russian S-400 and Chinese HQ-9 strategic air defense missile systems. Iran analysts are, to say the least, highly skeptical. … If even partially true, Zohrevand’s claim would indicate that Tehran is rapidly reinforcing its severely battered air defense in the aftermath of the 12-day war with Israel in June. Analysts are beyond skeptical. “I don’t believe there is any truth in the claims made by the Iranian parliament member,” Farzin Nadimi, a defence and security analyst and Senior Fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told me. “At best, it could be a desire or request communicated to the Russians by the extremely worried Iranians, but chances of it, or a HQ-9B delivery by China, happening in the foreseeable future is close to zero.”
The Supreme Leader watches soap operas. How do I know? Because the plot continues over and over the same, over the years. “Khamenei rules out talks with US over Iran’s nuclear programme,” Al Jazeera, 9-23-25. More seriously, “If no diplomatic deal is found this week, the sanctions will automatically “snap back” on Saturday evening. That would again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalise any development of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, among other measures.”
“Iran has executed at least 1,000 people in a “mass killing campaign” over the past nine months, it has been revealed. The campaign of hangings carried out between January and September was the highest number in more than three decades, rights groups said. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights organisation (IHR), which tracks executions, said at least 64 executions happened in the past week alone, averaging more than nine hangings per day.” See “Iran executes at least 1,000 people in ‘mass killing campaign’,” Telegraph, 9-23-25.