Blue In Green
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Valid points.
If not JF-17, I could see Iran going for Su-35, in fact maybe Pakistan should also consider Su-35 to counter Rafale until Project Azm gains traction or JF-17 gets big upgrades.
The really unfortunate issue with Iran acquiring any modern air-craft especially Russian Su-30SM or Su-35 (which is what Iran needs) is that at its core, Iran will be fighting an uphill multi-national diplomatic battle with Israel and the United States trying to sabotage Russian and Iranian efforts to complete the transaction and subsequent transfer of weapons. I don't put it paste Israel or America to try and physically destroy components of the deal or sabotage aspects of the deal either. It's within their MO, which adds another layer of uncertainty for Iran regarding the acquisition of new aircraft.
The original S-300 deal was such a debacle that it left a rather bad taste in many Iranians mouth, also it hasn't been forgotten. The Russians caved into Western/Israeli pressure which left Iran vulnerable in a time where both nations were seriously considering a strike against Iranian soil. Needless to say if Iran were to engage in serious negotiations for the Su-30SMs or Su-35s, it would have to proceed cautiously and with prudence.