US Threatens as Russian Cargo Aircraft with Tens of Tonnes Capacity Shuttle Back and Forth to Tehran — Delivering Weapons?

TEHRAN — Russian cargo flight activity to Tehran over the past ten days has attracted international attention. The aircraft’s presence coincides with the commencement of nuclear diplomacy and rising military tensions in the Middle East.

According to open flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, an Il-76TD aircraft with registration number RA-76373, operated by Gelix Airlines, was observed landing in the Iranian capital for several hours before returning to Russia. The aircraft made similar journeys on 14, 15 and 16 February, with a fourth flight occurring shortly afterwards.

The Il-76TD is one of Russia’s principal strategic transport aircraft, capable of carrying tens of tonnes of cargo over long distances. Gelix Airlines is known as a specialist in heavy-lift operations and has a track record of operating in sensitive conflict zones.

As of the time of reporting, neither Moscow nor Tehran had issued an official statement regarding the type of cargo being transported. However, civilian navigation data indicates that the aircraft did not conceal its route and kept its transponder signal active throughout the journeys.

Previously, Al Jazeera’s Tehran correspondent Nureddin al-Daghir reported that Russian and Chinese weapons shipments had arrived in Iran since the “12-Day War” in June last year.

Al-Daghir stated that the shipments were transported by large military aircraft carrying various military equipment, aimed at strengthening Iran’s defensive and offensive capabilities.