The story: Recent comments by Iran's defense minister have fueled speculation that a deal with Russia to purchase advanced fighter jets has fallen through. While a defense ministry spokesman has sought to downplay such reporting, he has also implied that Iran currently does not need to purchase military gear.

This comes as the commander of the country's regular air force insists that the Islamic Republic "needs" to revamp its aging fleet of warplanes.

The coverage: Speaking to reporters on July 20, Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani suggested that a reported deal to buy Sukhoi-35 (Su-35) planes from Russia had collapsed.

• Asked about the state of the claimed agreement, the defense minister said, "Sometimes, we make a deal for a purchase, but reach the...