Russia Delivers Advanced SU-35 Fighter Jets to Algeria, Leaving Iran in the Cold

Edited by: Fern Sidman

Moscow has begun transferring advanced SU-35 fighter jets to Algeria, according to a recently published report by Israel’s N12 News, in a move that carries profound strategic and geopolitical implications. The decision, confirmed by recently obtained satellite imagery, shows that several of Russia’s most advanced multi-role combat aircraft are already on Algerian soil. Meanwhile, Iran — which has long awaited the same jets — remains empty-handed, despite its close partnership with Russia and its growing isolation amid escalating tensions with Israel and the United States.

According to the information provided by N12, this transfer marks a dramatic leap forward in Algeria’s military capabilities, particularly as the country continues to maintain an openly hostile posture toward Israel and remains locked in a regional rivalry with neighboring Morocco. The SU-35 is among the most sophisticated fighter jets in the Russian arsenal — featuring powerful radar systems, superior maneuverability, and long-range engagement capabilities — and its presence in North Africa signals a major shift in the balance of power on the continent.

What makes this development even more significant, N12 explained, is Russia’s choice to supply these aircraft to Algeria rather than Iran, despite the Islamic Republic’s increasingly urgent need for advanced weaponry. Iran is currently at the epicenter of a volatile regional crisis, anticipating the possibility of direct strikes by either the United States or Israel amid mounting global tensions following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Tehran’s continued involvement in regional proxy conflicts.

For more than two years, numerous international outlets — including defense analysts cited by N12 — have reported that Russia was preparing to deliver SU-35 jets to Iran as part of a growing military and technological partnership. In 2022, reports indicated that Iranian pilots had even been trained on the aircraft in Russia, and the Islamic Republic had boasted of receiving the jets as early as 2023. But as of now, Iran remains without the advanced aircraft — a fact that N12 interprets as a deliberate and telling signal from Moscow.

Russia’s refusal to follow through on that promise, while simultaneously arming another anti-Western state like Algeria, suggests that Moscow is carefully weighing the strategic risks of empowering Tehran with cutting-edge air power. Analysts interviewed by N12 speculate that Russia may be avoiding further alienating Western powers or being drawn into deeper conflict scenarios involving Israel or the United States.

These aircraft are expected to significantly enhance Algeria’s operational capabilities and alter the aerial balance of power in North Africa, particularly as Algeria continues to invest in high-end Russian military hardware.

Beyond the immediate military implications, Israel’s N12 News report called attention to the strategic message behind the SU-35 transfers. Russia’s deepening engagement with Algeria — a state with a long-standing anti-Israel foreign policy and a record of support for Palestinian factions — aligns with Moscow’s broader push to expand influence across the African continent.

Israel is watching these developments closely. The N12 report noted that Jerusalem has growing concerns about the possibility that advanced Russian-made weaponry may fall into the hands of hostile regimes, especially those aligned politically or militarily with Iran or anti-Israel proxy groups.

Russia’s decision to favor Algeria over Iran in this pivotal arms deal reflects a complex geopolitical recalibration, according to analysis provided by N12. While Moscow and Tehran remain partners in many arenas — including energy, defense cooperation, and diplomatic efforts to counterbalance Western influence — Russia’s hesitation to arm Iran at a time of heightened global scrutiny reveals the limits of their alliance.

At the same time, Algeria’s military expansion, bolstered by state-of-the-art Russian fighter jets, marks a significant turning point in North Africa’s regional power dynamics — one that could ultimately pose new challenges to Israeli interests in the broader Middle East and Mediterranean region.

It is clear that Russia’s arms diplomacy is about far more than defense contracts — it is a strategic chess move in a world increasingly defined by realignments, confrontations, and the erosion of old alliances.