Iran considering buying Chinese fighter jets: Report
The Iranian daily Entekhab reported on Tuesday that specifically, Tehran is interested in the export version of the Chengdu J-10 fighter jet.
The paper said that a trip to the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao a few days ago by the Iranian defence minister for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should also be seen in this context.
Iran's greatest military weakness is its outdated air force, the modernisation of which has hardly been possible to date due to tough international sanctions.
Many aircraft, including F-14 models, date back to the time before the Iranian Revolution of 1979 when Tehran maintained close relations with the United States.
As part of its military cooperation with Russia, Iran has been trying for years to acquire modern Su-35 fighter jets - so far without success.
In its defence doctrine, Tehran has instead focused on militant groups in the region as well as a missile and drone programme.
International sanctions have largely cut Iran off from the global financial system.
The country's most important state revenue comes from oil sales - with China as the most important, albeit unofficial, customer.
A defence deal would therefore be theoretically possible, the Entekhab report argued.
Whether Beijing is prepared to sell remains unclear.
Israel attacked Iran Israel attacked Iran on June 13 and bombed targets across the country.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited the threat posed by Iran's controversial nuclear programme as the reason for the attack.
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