How sanctions played havoc with Iran’s ageing helicopters

Iran has been thwarted in efforts to renew its fleet or access spare parts and maintenance contracts. The US-made Bell 212 carrying the country’s president was almost 30 years old when it crashed.

John Paul Rathbone, Sylvia Pfeifer and Philip Georgiadis

May 22, 2024 – 10.02am

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The circumstances could hardly have been more difficult as the decades-old helicopter, which had clocked up thousands of hours of air time, embarked on a journey over treacherous terrain in thick fog.

It is unclear why the US-made Bell 212 helicopter that was carrying Iran’s president and foreign minister crashed into a mountainside near the Azerbaijan border on Sunday.

Financial Times