Russia sends 'doomsday' aircraft to Iran as Middle East tensions escalate

The Tu-214PU is designed to function even in high-threat environments, ensuring continuity of command during emergenciesRussia has sent one of its most secure airborne command aircraft to Tehran. The Tu-214PU is a specialised variant of the Tupolev Tu-214 passenger aircraft and serves as a flying command post for the Kremlin.The deployment comes as the United States intensifies strikes on Iranian military targets and Tehran vows retaliation, with the two sides locked in an increasingly volatile confrontation centred on the Strait of Hormuz.The Tu-214PU is not a routine government aircraft. Designed as an airborne command post equipped with hardened communications and secure command-and-control systems, it is often described as Russia's equivalent of a "doomsday" aircraft.Why the Tu-214PU m