Sputnik- Iranian Defense Minister said that Defense Ministry is considering purchase of the Russian Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter jets.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) � The Iranian Defense Ministry is considering purchase of�the Russian Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter jets, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Saturday.

"The purchase of�Su-30 fighters is on�the agenda of�the defense ministry," Dehghan said, as�quoted by�the Tasnim news agency.

Moscow and Tehran have been discussing the deliveries of�the Su-30 aircraft for�quite a long time. In February, a high-ranking official in�the Russian Federal Service for�Military-Technical Cooperation told RIA Novosti that the contract of�for the delivery of�Russian Su-30SM fighters could be signed in�2016, but�so far the parties are only discussing the issue in�negotiations.

The two countries stepped up�their military cooperation last year after�Iran reached a deal with�six world powers to�scale back its nuclear research in�exchange for�an easing of�sanctions against�it. The agreement took softened the UN arms embargo, allowing weapons to�be sold to�Iran provided they are reviewed by�the United Nations on�a case-by-case basis. At the same time, Washington had opposed the sale of�Russia's fighter jets to�Iran.