With the historic agreement still less than a month old, the IRIAF has already been linked with the potential procurement of new combat aircraft from both China and France, in the guise of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) J-10B and the Dassault Mirage 2000 respectively. According to media reports citing anonymous military and intelligence officials, Beijing has offered to supply the IRIAF with up to 150 J-10B fighters plus associated weaponry, while Paris is reported to have offered to supply surplus Mirage 2000 jets, which are in the process of being replaced in French service by the Rafale.
Neither has Russia been slow in getting in on the act. Moscow is said to be eyeing up a possible sale of either surplus or newbuild MiG and/or Sukhoi fighters to Iran.
I mentioned the reported deal with China, which will trade control of an oil field to China for 20 years for fighter aircraft. That's one way to make sure sanctions can't snap close a deal, eh?
Other deals will be structured to prevent them from being shut down. Besides, the deal explicitly says deals signed while sanctions are lifted may continue.
While even this administration probably can't undermine our military enough to deny us a military option against Iran (although the cost would be higher), Israel's ability to effectively strike Iran is probably at the edge of their capabilities and so improvements in Iran's air defenses could tip the balance away from Israel.
Which might be the whole point.
