US bought 21 MiG-29s from Moldova for $40mn in 1997 to block Iran from acquiring nuclear delivery system

Published Aug 17, 12:20 AM UTC

In 1997, the United States purchased 21 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters from Moldova for approximately $40 million to prevent Iran from acquiring them. The deal, executed under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program, included 14 nuclear-capable MiG-29C variants, six MiG-29As, one trainer, 500 air-to-air missiles, and support equipment. Iran had inspected the Moldovan fleet and expressed interest. Washington's primary goal was denial—removing the aircraft from the international market—and intelligence exploitation. The aircraft were flown to Ohio for analysis, as American specialists had never had unrestricted access to the Fulcrum-C variant. Moldova, struggling economically after the Soviet collapse, could not maintain the fleet. The purchase preempted Iran's search for an airborne weapons-of-mass-destruction delivery system.