Iran's Air Force Commander Threatens Israel With 50-Year Old Jets

Hamid Vahedi, the commander of Iran’s Army Air Force, says forces are ready to execute orders, using the Soviet-era Sukhoi Su-24 bombers against Israel.

"We are ready to strike our targets with Sukhoi 24," Vahedi declared, the Sukhoi Su-24 first entering service in 1974. It remains a component of Iran's limited fleet of strike aircraft, which includes several aging models from both the US and Russia.

Vahedi's comments follow Iran's air strike against Israel over the weekend when over 350 missiles and drones were fired towards Israel, most of which were intercepted by Israel and its allies.

Tehran says its attack was in response to an earlier incident on April 1, where Iran’s consulate in Syria was attacked by an alleged Israeli air strike, killing a senior Quds Force commander and several IRGC personnel.

Despite the tone of Vahedi’s warnings, his remarks have sparked a flurry of jokes, with many commenting on the antiquated nature of the Su-24 bombers still in service.

Currently, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force operates around 30 Su-24MKs, a fleet acquired from Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and potentially other post-Soviet states.