Iran To Buy Chinese J-10C Fighter Jets

Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, it seems like Iran is preparing to hit back hard. According to the reports, Iran is seeking help from China is reportedly set to buy China's J-10C fighter jets after its air force was left grounded during Israeli and American airstrikes. The move to procure the same Chengdu J-10C jets, which are compatible with the PL-15 missiles that Pakistan recently used against India, follows delays in Russia's delivery of Su-35s.

A few weeks ago, when Israel and US launched countless missiles, Iran's air force was nowhere, and it seems like its leadership has realised it.

Iran couldn't intercept much, and the air force didn't even scramble its jets. Days after the Israeli and American aerial offensive on Iran, reports suggest Tehran is now set to purchase Chinese Chengdu J-10C fighter jets, which is hosting an ageing and underfunded fleet. The move by Tehran to opt for the cheaper Chinese jets compatible with the PL-15 missiles, used by Pakistan's air force, comes after its deal with Russia for fighter jets made no headway.

Iran's Struggle with Fighter Jet Procurement

Iran has intensified negotiations with China to acquire the Chengdu J-10C, a 4.5-generation multirole fighter jet, after a failed deal with Russia for Su-35 aircraft, reported The Moscow Times, and Ukrainian news agency RBC Ukraine.

Iran, which was earlier eyeing the twin-engine Russian Su-35, is now opting for the Chinese single-engine J-10C, a jet that is cheaper by nearly $40-60 million per unit, amid delays in Russian deliveries. With just four of the promised 50 Su-35 jets delivered since the 2023 contract, sanctions-hit Iran is now eyeing the Chinese J-10C, the same jet China's "iron brother" Pakistan had deployed against India during the mini-war in May.

Challenges in Acquiring Chinese Jets

A destroyed residential building in Tehran that was hit in an Israeli strike last week. Israel deployed F-35I Adir, F-16I Sufa, and F-15I Ra'am jets to strike Iran's nuclear sites, missile bases, and military infrastructure.

WHY IRAN FAILED TO BUY CHENGDU-MADE J-10 EARLIER?

Iran's interest in the J-10 dates back nearly two decades. In 2015, talks began for a deal involving 150 jets, but it fell through as China demanded payment in foreign currency while cash-strapped Tehran could offer just oil and gas instead. The UN arms embargo on Iran at the time further stalled the agreement reported Ukrainian news agency RBC Ukraine.

A May 2025 report by Forbes suggests that Iran was interested in purchasing 36 J-10Cs from China.

Iran's Current Air Force Capabilities

More recently around the time of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel Iran announced that it had finalised a deal with Moscow to acquire Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets Mi-28 attack helicopters S-400 air-defense systems and Yak-130 trainer aircraft. However the only equipment Iran actually received from the deal was training jets according to a report in The Washington Post.

As of 2025 Iran's Air Force has a vulnerable fleet of around 150 fighter jets primarily Cold War-era American aircraft acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and some Soviet jets. These include F-4 Phantoms F-5E/F Tigers F-14A Tomcats and MiG-29s. Though much of Tehran's fighter fleet is outdated and largely unserviceable according to The Military Balance 2025 an open-source report by London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The Potential Impact of Acquiring J-10C Jets

Nicknamed "Vigorous Dragon" J-10C is also being pursued by Bangladesh Air Force which is reportedly looking to procure 16 of these fighters.

The J-10C developed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation could very well be a significant upgrade for Iran's air force. The J-10C variant Iran is seeking equipped with an AESA radar and PL-15 long-range missiles may offer Iran enhanced manoeuvrability and multirole capabilities to some extent comparable to some of Israel's frontline jets.

The J-10C referred to as "Vigorous Dragon" is one of China's advanced fighter jets which helped its air force transition from older platforms.Powered by a Chinese-made WS-10 engine aircraft has delta wing-canard configuration which offers superior agility in dogfights.