Iran blames Western sanctions for fatal crash of US helicopter carrying Ebrahim Raisi

Iran heavily invested in US aircraft, including F-14 fighter jets and the Chinook helicopters, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Washington announced an arms embargo against Tehran shortly afterwards, and its rebranded Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force began to fall into disrepair.

The regime was able to keep its fleet in the skies by cannibalising aircraft for spare parts and reverse engineering others that were blocked from shipment by the US.

Two Bell 212 helicopters, used to transport high-ranking government officials, were known to have survived the blockade in working order.

However, recently the US, UK and EU have ratcheted up sanctions on dual-use goods that could help repair or upgrade the aircraft in response to Iran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The two-bladed, twin-engineered aircraft Bell 212 earned legendary status among American veterans of the war in Vietnam for its role in the conflict.

They have written memoirs detailing how the helicopter could rack up more than 1,000 hours flying over the country’s dense jungles in a single six-month tour.

Some of the craft were said to have survived having their engines and hydraulic systems shot out by Viet Cong Guerrillas while still successfully completing missions or moving heavy loads between bases.