Arabian Business wrote that Iraq denies the JF-17 Thunder Block III sale allegations. It was claimed last week that the Iraqi government had approved acquiring 12 JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets from Pakistan with a price tag of $664 million. According to the Iraqi Air Force, Iraq will not engage Pakistan in purchasing JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft. According to Iraqi Air Force sources, there are currently no plans, negotiations, discussions, or agreements in place to purchase such a platform. According to the sources, this was an old story during the tenure of former Minister of Defence Juma Inad, whose term ended on October 27, 2022. “The Minister of Defence Thabit Al Abassi did not and will not engage Pakistan for the purchase of the JF-17,” an Iraqi Air Force source said under the condition of anonymity. According to Pakistani sources, the Iraqi government has approved a $664 million budget for purchasing 12 JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets from Pakistan.
It was reported that Iraq had signed a contract with Pakistan to purchase an unspecified number of aircraft. The sales negotiations lasted more than two years.
Pakistan and China have been working together to manufacture the aircraft. Islamabad has already exported its JF-17 to Nigeria and is looking into shipping its Block III version to Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and Myanmar.
