Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — Iran was said to have secretly supplied Russian-origin fighter-jets to Iraq.

The International Institute of Strategic Studies stated that the latest delivery of Su-25 ground attack aircraft to Iraq stemmed from neighboring Iran.

Institute analyst Joseph Dempsey, based on open-source data, said the arrival of the Russian-origin aircraft on July 1 came from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“Although the source of this latest delivery of Su-25s has not been
officially commented upon, it is the conclusion of IISS analysts that these
latest examples originate from neighboring Iran,” Dempsey wrote.

In an analysis of July 2, Dempsey said the Su-25 delivery reflected
Iranian military assistance to the Shi’ite government in Baghdad amid the
drive by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Islamic State of
Iraq and Sham. He said that the aircraft could have included seven Su-25s
sent by then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to Teheran on the eve of the
1991 Gulf war.

Dempsey said the serial numbers on the three Su-25s that arrived in
Baghdad were similar to those of the IRGC fleet. He also cited a camouflage
scheme on the Frogfoot aircraft identical to the Iranian Su-25s.

“Although these aircraft were likely delivered to Iraq by Iranian
pilots, it is unclear who will now be responsible for crewing and
maintaining them,” Dempsey said. “Given this recent apparent growth in their
Su-25 inventory, it seems increasingly unlikely that Iraq retains the
capacity to operate this type of aircraft in any significant number without
some level of external support.”

The July 1 delivery came two days after Russia sent at least seven
Su-25s to Iraq. Dempsey said the purportedly Iranian-supplied Su-25Bs
appeared to be in much better condition than the Russian aircraft.

“In addition, those from Russia were disassembled and airlifted to Iraq,
whereas these appear to have flown in, a premise supported by the addition
of wing-mounted fuel tanks on each aircraft,” the analysis said. “Whilst the
presence of Iran-sourced aircraft in Iraq is clearly significant, the exact
circumstances surrounding their presence and intended use remain unknown, as
does the existence of any wider arrangement between the governments of these
neighboring countries to counter the ISIS threat.”

  Analyst: Emergency Russian Su-25s to Iraq came from Iran, IRGC, ISIL